U.S. patent application number 15/879983 was filed with the patent office on 2018-07-26 for boots with gusset.
The applicant listed for this patent is Tingley Rubber Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert N. Petersen, Steven A. Smith, James P. Towey.
Application Number | 20180206597 15/879983 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 62905406 |
Filed Date | 2018-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180206597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Towey; James P. ; et
al. |
July 26, 2018 |
Boots With Gusset
Abstract
A boot comprises: an outsole and a polymeric upper affixed to
the outsole. The upper comprises an upper body and a gusset, which
comprises a relaxed position and an expanded position, wherein the
gusset moves from the relaxed position to the expanded position to
accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the boot.
Inventors: |
Towey; James P.; (Nutley,
NJ) ; Smith; Steven A.; (Pompton Plains, NJ) ;
Petersen; Robert N.; (Somerset, NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Tingley Rubber Corporation |
Piscataway |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
62905406 |
Appl. No.: |
15/879983 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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62450838 |
Jan 26, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 23/0215 20130101;
A43B 3/04 20130101; A43B 23/047 20130101; B29D 35/0009 20130101;
A43B 23/0295 20130101; A43B 7/12 20130101; B29D 35/126
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 23/04 20060101
A43B023/04; A43B 3/04 20060101 A43B003/04 |
Claims
1. A boot comprising: an outsole; and an upper affixed to the
outsole, the upper comprising polymeric upper body and a polymeric
gusset comprising a relaxed position and an expanded position,
wherein the gusset moves from the relaxed position to the expanded
position to accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the
boot.
2. The boot of claim 1, wherein the gusset comprises one or more
pleats.
3. The boot of claim 1, wherein the gusset is integral to the upper
body.
4. The boot of claim 1, wherein the gusset is affixed to the upper
body.
5. The boot of claim 1, wherein the gusset is self-supporting.
6. The boot claim 1, wherein the gusset is effective to expand a
top area of the boot.
7. The boot of claim 1, wherein the gusset in an expanded position
upon accommodating a wear's leg expands an edge of the upper body
at least one inch.
8. The boot of claim 1, wherein the polymeric upper comprises a
thermoplastic polymer.
9. The boot of claim 1, wherein the upper body and the gusset
independently comprise a thermoplastic polymer selected from the
group consisting of rubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, and
polyvinyl chloride.
10. The boot of claim 1, wherein the outsole is polymeric.
11. The boot of claim 1, wherein the outsole comprises one or more
integrally-formed features selected from the group consisting of: a
toe, a heel, a heel strike, and cleats.
12. The boot of claim 1 in the form of a knee boot.
13. The boot of claim 1 that is liquid-proof.
14. A liquid protection knee boot comprising: an outsole of a first
polymeric material; and an upper of a second polymeric material,
the upper being affixed to the outsole and comprising an upper
body, a topline opening defined by an edge of the upper body, and a
gusset intersecting the edge of the upper body; wherein the gusset
is effective to expand the edge from a relaxed position to an
expanded position to accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the
boot.
15. The liquid protection boot of claim 14, wherein the gusset
comprises one or more pleats.
16. The liquid protection boot of claim 14, wherein the outsole,
the upper body, and the gusset independently comprise a
thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of rubber,
thermoplastic polyurethane, and polyvinyl chloride.
17. A method of making a boot comprising: forming an outsole by
injecting a first polymeric material into a first mold cavity;
forming a gusset by injection molding a second polymeric material;
forming an upper body by injecting a third polymeric material into
a second mold cavity; forming an upper comprising the gusset and
the upper body; and affixing the upper to the outsole.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second mold cavity
comprises one or more surfaces for forming the gusset integrally
with the upper body to form the upper, and the second and third
polymeric materials are the same.
19. The method of claim 17, the gusset is pre-fabricated in a third
mold cavity separate from the second mold cavity, wherein forming
the upper comprises injecting the second polymeric material of the
upper body around the gusset that is held in the second mold
cavity.
20. The method of claim 17, the gusset is pre-fabricated in a third
mold cavity separate from the second mold cavity, wherein forming
the upper comprises gluing the gusset to the upper body.
21. A method of providing comfortable boots to wearers, the method
comprising: donning the boot of one of claim 1; and expanding the
gusset as needed to accommodate the wearer's leg.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/450,838, filed Jan.
26, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to boots having a
gusset that comprises a relaxed position and an expanded position.
The gusset moves from the relaxed position to the expanded position
to accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the boot.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Liquid protection boots are designed to protect feet and
lower leg portions against infusion of liquid during wet
conditions. Polymeric materials are suitable for forming liquid
protection boots, which makes them amenable to injection molding
techniques. Creation and design of molds for boots can become
complex and costly due to a wide range of wearer sizes and comfort
and functional preferences. Foot size and shape can vary, but so
does the size, shape and circumference of possible wearers. For
some boots, adding features for comfort and function can require
additional manufacturing steps and materials beyond initial
injection molding. For example, some prior art boots utilize
stretchable elastic fabrics as gussets, which require additional
manufacturing steps and materials beyond the formation of the
underlying boot. Some prior art boots include gussets in
combination with fasteners, where the fasteners are needed to
close-up a gusset during wearing of the boot.
[0004] There is an on-going need to manufacture boots efficiently
by injection molding. There is also an on-going need to provide
boots that are comfortable while providing liquid protection. There
is a need to provide boots that can accommodate varying sizes of
legs.
SUMMARY
[0005] Provided are boots with enhanced features. The boots herein
have gussets that accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the
boot.
[0006] In an aspect, a boot comprises: an outsole; and an upper
affixed to the outsole, the upper comprising a polymeric upper body
and a polymeric gusset comprising a relaxed position and an
expanded position, wherein the gusset moves from the relaxed
position to the expanded position to accommodate a wearer's leg
upon donning of the boot.
[0007] In a detailed aspect, a liquid protection knee boot
comprises: an outsole of a first polymeric material; and an upper
of a second polymeric material. The upper is affixed to the outsole
and comprises an upper body, a topline opening defined by an edge
of the upper body, and a gusset intersecting the edge of the upper
body. The gusset is effective to expand the edge from a relaxed
position to an expanded position to accommodate a wearer's leg upon
donning of the boot.
[0008] A further aspect is a method of making a boot comprising:
forming an outsole by injecting a first polymeric material into a
first mold cavity; forming a gusset by injection molding a second
polymeric material; forming an upper body by injecting a third
polymeric material into a second mold cavity; forming an upper
comprising the gusset and the upper body; and affixing the upper to
the outsole.
[0009] Another aspect provides a method of providing comfortable
boots to wearers, the method comprising: donning any boot disclosed
herein; and expanding the gusset as needed to accommodate the
wearer's leg.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a boot;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of a boot;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a boot; and
[0013] FIGS. 4A and 4B provide close-up schematic views of the
gusset located on a rear side of the boot; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view of an outsole.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Boots disclosed herein have an advantage in that a polymeric
gusset accommodates a wide variety of calf and leg sizes. The
gussets herein have a relaxed, unexpanded position that expands as
needed to accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of the boot. An
integrally-formed polymeric gusset eliminates the need to provide
additional processing steps to insert or separately affix a gusset
of a separate material and associated fastener. A calf-relief
gusset (with "accordion fold" construction) expands a circumference
of an edge or a topline opening defined by the edge of a boot. The
edge or topline opening may expand by a minimum of one inch versus
a conventional smooth opening boot upper. In one or more
embodiments, the circumference of the edge may increase from about
3 to about 10%, preferably in a range of 4-6%. The expandable
calf-relief gusset allows a comfortable fit of knee boots to
wearers of varying sizes, including those whose calves are larger
than average. The boots herein are comfortable without further
modification by wearers, who do not have to cut or compromise the
height or liquid protection of the boot to accommodate their
calves. Gusseted boots allow for improved fit over a range of calf
sizes, while also providing added comfort while walking since the
muscles in the calves will expand and move within the boot.
[0016] Reference herein to "knee boot" refers to footwear designed
to protect feet and lower legs, with a top of the boot extending
nominally towards a wearer's knee. That is, a boot that is a knee
boot covers all or a portion of a wearer's calf and may extend to
the wearer's knee or just below it.
[0017] Reference to "integral" means that in forming the upper of
the boot, the gusset and the upper body form a unitary structure.
In one or more non-limiting embodiments, a mold is designed to
include both the gusset feature and the upper body, in which case,
a single injection of a polymeric material yields an upper
comprising an upper body and a gusset integral to the upper
body.
[0018] Reference to "affix" or "affixed" means that a
pre-fabricated item connects to another item by way of gluing
(e.g., adhesive or epoxy or other glue) or by direct attachment
injection molding techniques. In one or more other non-limiting
embodiments, a gusset may be injection molded in a gusset mold, the
gusset is then placed in a boot upper mold and the upper body is
injected around the pre-fabricated gusset by direct attachment
injection techniques. The gusset is thereby affixed to the upper
body. A pre-fabricated polymeric gusset may be glued to a
pre-fabricated polymeric upper body to affix the gusset to the
upper body. If a gusset is pre-fabricated, it may be of the same or
different but compatible polymer of the upper body. Likewise, an
outsole may be pre-fabricated by injection molding, which is then
placed in a boot upper mold and the upper body is injected to the
pre-fabricated outsole by direct attachment injection techniques.
The outsole is thereby affixed to the upper body. The outsole may
alternatively be affixed by adhesive or epoxy or other glue.
[0019] A "gusset" is a structural feature designed to allow
expansion of a desired article such as a boot. Gussets as disclosed
herein are polymeric and generally self-supporting. A gusset is
expandable and is dimensioned along an article to impart expansion
to a desired location. Overall geometry of a gusset may vary in
width and height depending on the application. Upon application of
a force, a gusset moves from a relaxed or resting or original
(unexpanded) position to an expanded position. Gussets may comprise
any desired geometry that is amenable to a boot's design. That is,
a gusset may be generally triangular, trapezoidal, rhomboidal, and
the like, so long as it can possess both unexpanded and expanded
positions. In an embodiment, a gusset may comprise one or more
pleats.
[0020] A "pleat" is a fold and material on either side of the fold,
upon application of a force, a pleat can move from a relaxed or
resting or original position to an expanded or unfolded position. A
plurality of pleats can form an accordion fold construction.
Dimensions and number of pleats for a gusset may vary with
application.
[0021] A "cleat" is a feature of an outsole, which is integral to a
body of the outsole protruding from a surface of the outsole for
traction purposes. An array of cleats constitutes a tread pattern.
The cleats and overall tread pattern afford the wearer slip
resistance over a wide range of surfaces.
[0022] Before describing several exemplary embodiments of the
invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
to the details of construction or process steps set forth in the
following description. The invention is capable of other
embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various
ways.
[0023] Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a
boot 100, and FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the boot 100. With
reference to both figures, the boot 100 comprises an upper 102 and
an outsole 104. The upper 102 is affixed to the outsole 104 and is
designed for providing a knee boot in that, without being limited
by an exact length or location on a wearer, the boot extends to the
general area to or at or below a wearer's knee. The upper 102 has a
height "H" as denoted in FIG. 1. The outsole 104 can be any
suitable material for providing foot protection and traction. The
upper 102 is a polymeric material having an upper body 110 and a
gusset 105. In a non-limiting embodiment, gusset 105 comprises a
plurality of pleats 108, specifically 5 pleats. The boots according
to this disclosure do not have a fastener associated with the
gusset because the gusset herein is self-supporting and expands
only as-needed. A fastener is not needed to close or otherwise
manipulate the gusset. The gusset 105 extends along a rear side of
the boot to a desired distance, denoted as "G" in FIG. 1, thereby
providing general calf relief in a top area of the boot 124. Prior
to the present invention, some wearers would remove the top area
124 in order to accommodate larger than average calves. Here,
gusset 105 is dimensioned to provide calf relief without a wearer
needing to modify the boot, which in turn does not compromise
height of the boot or liquid protection. In one or more
embodiments, the distance "G" that the gusset extends is 50% or
less of "H", 0.4*H, or 0.3*H, or even 0.25*H.
[0024] In FIG. 3, which is a schematic top view of the boot 100,
upper 102 comprises upper body 110 and gusset 105. An edge 112 of
the upper body 110 defines a topline opening 114. The topline
opening 114 is generally larger at the top of the boot and tapers
necks down towards an ankle area. For donning, the wearer's foot
fits down and through the opening and into a throat of the boot.
Gusset 105 intersects the edge 112.
[0025] FIGS. 4A and 4B provide close-up schematic views of the
gusset 105, comprising pleats 108, which intersects the edge 112.
The gusset 105 is effective to expand the topline opening upon
accommodating a leg of a wearer. The additional opening is
dependent on the width or size of the gusset, the size and geometry
of the pleats and the number of pleats. The edge or topline opening
may expand at least an inch or even 1.5 inches depending on the
boot size. In one or more embodiments, the circumference of the
edge may increase from about 3 to about 10%, preferably in a range
of 4-6%. In FIG. 4A, the gusset 105 comprises an original or
resting or relaxed position 116 where the gusset is in a relaxed
state, not expanded, and not receiving any force of expansion.
Before the boot is donned, the gusset is in the relaxed, unexpanded
state. The gusset 105 in its original contributes a base distance
around the circumference of the edge 112. The base distance may be
measured by a smooth line or arc 118 that connects one side of the
gusset to the other. In FIG. 4B, the gusset 105 comprises an
expanded position 120 to accommodate a wearer's leg upon donning of
the boot. The gusset 105 in its expanded position contributes an
expanded distance around the circumference of the edge 112. The
expanded distance may be measured by a smooth line or arc 122 that
connects one side of the gusset to the other. The expanded distance
is always greater than the base distance. The gusset 105 extends
from the edge 112 along a rear side of the boot to a desired
distance, thereby providing general calf relief in the top area of
the boot 124.
[0026] FIG. 5 provides a schematic bottom view of an exemplary
outsole 204. For liquid protection purposes, outsole 204 is a first
polymeric material that is injection-molded in a mold prepared
according to desired design features. One or more integrally-formed
design features of the outsole include but are not limited to: a
toe 208, a heel 210, a heel strike 212, and one or more cleats 214.
The cleats are generally in contact with the ground surface during
use.
[0027] Generally, the outsole 204 comprises a polymeric material
that is suitable for a variety of ground surfaces and surface
conditions. A preferred polymeric material for the outsole is a
thermoplastic elastomer, including but not limited to rubber,
thermoplastic polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. The outsole 204
is formed by injection molding the polymeric material into a mold
cavity of a desired tread pattern.
[0028] The upper in accordance with this disclosure is liquid-
and/or waterproof. Materials for the upper include but are not
limited to polymeric materials. In one or more embodiments, the
polymeric material of the upper is polyvinyl chloride. The upper
may contain additional features as desired, such heel kicks, bands,
grips, inner texture, and the like to facilitate donning and
removing the boot.
[0029] The outsole generally comprises a polymeric material that
may be the same or that may be different from the polymeric
material of the upper depending upon the desired functionality of
the footwear, but which is compatible to facilitate attachment of
the outsole to the upper. In one or more embodiments, an outsole is
formed by injecting a first polymeric material into a first mold
cavity. An upper is formed by combining an upper body and a gusset.
The gusset is made by injection molding a second polymeric
material. The upper body is formed by injecting a third polymeric
material into a second mold cavity. The outsole and upper may be
made in any order. The upper is affixed to the outsole. In a
specific embodiment, to affix the upper to the outsole, the upper
is injection molded in direct contact with a pre-fabricated
injection molded outsole. For making the upper, the second mold
cavity may comprise one or more surfaces for forming the gusset
integrally with the upper body, wherein the second and third
polymeric materials are the same. Or for making the upper, the
gusset may be pre-fabricated in a third mold cavity separate from
the second mold cavity. Forming the upper may comprise injecting
the second polymeric material of the upper body around the gusset
that is held in the second mold cavity, or it may comprise affixing
the pre-fabricated gusset to the upper body.
[0030] Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment,"
"certain embodiments," "various embodiments," "one or more
embodiments" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature,
structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with
the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the
disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases such as "in one or
more embodiments," "in certain embodiments," "in various
embodiments," "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various
places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring
to the same embodiment of the disclosure. Furthermore, the
particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may
be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[0031] Although the disclosure herein provided a description with
reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that
these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and
applications of the disclosure. It will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be
made to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit
and scope thereof. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure
include modifications and variations that are within the scope of
the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *