U.S. patent number RE29,041 [Application Number 05/481,200] was granted by the patent office on 1976-11-23 for footwear.
Invention is credited to Tatsuo Fukuoka.
United States Patent |
RE29,041 |
Fukuoka |
November 23, 1976 |
Footwear
Abstract
A method .[.for.]. .Iadd.of .Iaddend.producing an injection
molded article comprises positioning pre-formed sections made of
cloth or the like in the cavity of an injection mold, injecting the
molten resinous material into the remainder of the cavity and
cooling the material to a condition under which the latter is cured
and integrally connected to the pre-positioned sections. The
article produced by the above method comprises at least sections
and connecting members adapted to connect said sections to each
other.
Inventors: |
Fukuoka; Tatsuo
(Shin-Minami-Fukushima, Tokushima, JA) |
Family
ID: |
26726817 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/481,200 |
Filed: |
June 20, 1974 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
049042 |
Jun 23, 1970 |
03672078 |
Jun 27, 1972 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/11.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
1/14 (20130101); A43B 3/102 (20130101); B29C
45/14467 (20130101); B29D 35/061 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
1/14 (20060101); A43B 1/00 (20060101); A43B
3/10 (20060101); B29D 31/508 (20060101); B29D
31/50 (20060101); B29C 45/14 (20060101); A43G
003/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/11.5,2.5R,14,32 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lawson; Patrick D.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A footwear comprising a molded thermoplastic sole having a pair
of sides and an upper member having a pair of sections of flexible
material, one of the sections of the upper member extending into
the sole along one side thereof and being secured within the molded
sole, the other section of the upper extending into the sole along
the other side thereof and being secured within the molded sole,
the sections extending upwardly from opposite sides of the sole and
toward each other to form a band member, each of the sections
having an edge adjacent an edge of the other section, a cover
member extending along the inner surfaces of the sections and being
spaced from the sections adjacent the adjacent edges thereof, each
pair of adjacent edges of the sections being secured by a molded
thermoplastic connecting strip surrounding the adjacent edges and
extending therebetween and filling the space between the cover
member and the sections and securing the cover member to the
sections.
2. A footwear comprising an upper member including a plurality of
sections and a sole member made of thermoplastic resinous material,
said sections being made of flexible material and being integrally
connected to each other at adjacent edges thereof by at least one
connecting member, an end portion of each section being connected
to the edge portion of the sole member, said sole member being
provided with an upper surface formed in a curved shape in
conformity with the foot of the wearer and being provided with a
foamy interior portion adapted for providing resilience and a
non-foamy outer later integral therewith adapted for providing
durability and resistance against deformation of the footwear.
3. The footwear of claim 2 wherein said upper is a band member,
said band member being provided with a rear cover member
inseparably secured onto the back surface of the band member.
.Iadd. 4. In a shoe having an upper and a sole, the sole being
formed of molded resinous material and having a foamed inner layer
and a non-foamy outer layer completely surrounding said foamed
inner layer, the improvement wherein said upper comprises a
plurality of upper sections and a connecting member formed of
resinous material, the upper sections including at least a toe cap
section and a counter section formed of reinforcing material, said
upper sections being connected to one another by said connecting
member. .Iaddend..Iadd. 5. The shoe of claim 4 wherein said
connecting member is molded integrally with the sole and extends
upwardly therefrom. .Iaddend..Iadd. 6. The shoe of claim 4 wherein
a portion of said shape-retaining and connecting member extends
upwardly from the sole and is molded integrally therewith, the
lower peripheral edge of the upper being connected to said portion.
.Iaddend..Iadd. 7. The shoe of claim 4 wherein the upper includes
an intermediate section between said toe cap section and counter
section and connected thereto by the shape-retaining and connecting
member, the intermediate section being formed of porous
air-permeable material..Iaddend.
Description
The present invention relates to improvements of injection molded
article such as footwear, container and the like and a method
therefor, more particularly to low cost but comfortable footwear
integrally formed of synthetic resin material and other material
such as cloth, leather or the like.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a new
injection molded article of which a portion or portions is made of
thermoplastic resinous material and other portion or portions being
of different material such as cloth, leather or the like, these
portions being integrally assembled into an united article such as
footwear, container or the like without use of any adhesive agent
or stitching up to each other.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel
footwear such as a sandal, a shoe or the like in which a sole
portion thereof is molded of thermoplastic resinous material, and
an upper portion being made of different material from the former,
such as porous woven cloth, skin, leather or the like, said sole
and upper portions being formed as an integrally united footwear
without use of any adhesive agent or stitching up to each
other.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel
footwear in which a sole portion is molded of thermoplastic
resinous material, having a foaming interior adapted for providing
resiliency and having a non-foamy outer layer adapted for providing
durability and resistance against deformation thereof.
A further essential object of the present invention is to provide
an improved method for producing such articles.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear
from the following disclosure of preferred embodiments taken in
connection with the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sandal according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the sandal taken along the line 2--2
in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mold available for
producing the sandal;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4--4 in
FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to the FIG 4, but the band
sections inserted into the fixed places with the mold;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6--6 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view of other embodiment of the sandal
according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a mold available for producing the
sandal illustrated in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the shoe according to the present
invention;
FIG. 10 is a mold adapted for producing the shoe;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line 11--11 in FIG.
10;
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the container according to the
present invention;
FIG. 13 is a sectional view adapted for producing the
container;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 14--14 in
FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the semi-boot according to the
subject invention; and
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the hand-bag according to the
present invention.
Referring now to the drawings 1 and 2, a sandal is illustrated as
an embodiment of the article according to the present
invention.
The sandal 10 comprises a band member 11 formed of two band
sections 11A and 11B, and a base portion or sole member 12 having
an unique upper surface 12A formed in a curved shape in conformity
with the back figure of the user's sole. The said sections 11A, 11B
of the band member 11 are made of flexible material such, for
example, as porous woven or knitted cloth, skin, haired sheet, or
leather, synthetic resin or the like and are integrally connected
to each other at upper end thereof by means of a connection 13.
Each of other end portions or lower end portions of the band
sections 11A, 11B is embedded into the matrix of the sole member 12
so that the latter and the band member 11 are integrally connected
to each other. Preferably, side edges of the band sections 11A and
11B are covered with loop-like flanges 14, respectively, which are
integrally formed with the sole member 12. The said flanges 14 and
the connection 13 are adhered to the band sections during forming
process of the sandal while the process will be hereinafter
represented in detail.
The sole member 12, preferably is provided with a foamy interior
portion 12B adapted for providing resiliency and a nonfoamy outer
layer 12C integral therewith adapted for providing durability and
resistance against deformation of the sandal.
FIGS. 3 to 6 show a mold 15 for producing the sandal. The mold
comprises several mold sections, that is, upper mold section 16, a
core mold section 17 and a lower mold section 18. These sections
are separably assembled so as to define a molding chamber or cavity
19 therein. The said cavity 19 includes a sole-molding chamber 20
adapted for producing the sole member 12 of the sandal, a
band-supporting spaces 21 to closely support therein the pre-formed
band sections 11A and 11B, a pair of flange-forming chambers 22
adapted for producing the flanges 14 around the sides of the band
sections and a connection-forming chamber 23 adapted for producing
the connection between the adjacent edges of the band sections,
said chambers being communicated to each other to allow the flow of
thermoplastic material applied into the cavity 19 through a duct
24. The said lower mold section 18 is supported to move towards up
and down by plungers 30 which are actuated by suitable mechanical
means (not shown), and the core mold section 17 also being
removably supported by the conventional suitable means (not
shown).
In producing the sandal, the pre-formed band sections 11A and 11B
of the desired material such, for example, as porous woven cloth
are positioned within the appropriate spaces 21 in the mold. In
this case, the size of each band section is so defined that when
each of the band sections are positioned in the appropriate space
21 the adjacent edges or upper edges of the sections 11A and 11B
are protruded into the connection-forming chamber 23 as shown in
FIG. 5, and the side edges of the sections being protruded into the
flange-forming chambers 22 as shown in FIG. 6, while the lower
portions of the sections being protruded into the sole-molding
chamber 20 as shown in FIG. 5. After positioning the sections 11A
and 11B, heated and molten thermoplastic resinous material which
can be expanded or foamed is injected from an injection molding
apparatus (not shown) into the enlargeable cavity 19 through the
duct 24.
The material within the cavity is then cooled and cured by making
heat-exchange to the mold 15 which may be cooled by means of the
conventional cooling device mounted onto the mold, so that the
flanges 14 and the connection 13 which are made of said
thermoplastic resinous material integrally with the sole member 12
are fused to the appropriate edges of the band sections 11A and 11B
without use of any adhesive agent thereby easily obtaining the
sandal provided with the above-mentioned construction as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
A number of various thermoplastic resinous material may be
applicable to the novel foamed material utilized in the present
invention. Without intending to be restricted thereto, however, the
invention is particularly adapted to be formed of granules of
polystyrene. The blowing agents employed for the expansible
thermoplastic resinous material may be those which are commonly
utilized including dichlorodifluoromethane, carbon dioxide, pentane
and other low boiling hydrocarbons or other suitable materials such
as sensitive gas generating agents and the like.
To form the foamed material, the preferred method comprises
charging a mass of the said granules into a dischargeable injection
chamber of the injection molding apparatus; then, in intermittent
molding cycle, forcing said mass under pressure sequentially in and
through a first cold zone in said injection chamber wherein a
portion of said mass is compacted in solid granular form while
being maintained at a temperature beneath its foaming temperature;
a second heated zone adjacent to the first zone in said injection
chamber wherein a portion of said mass is heated to a flowable
condition under the application of an adequate quantity of heat to
cause it to attain a foaming temperature; the solid compacted
portion of the mass in the first zone continuously maintaining the
heated portion of said mass in the second zone to restrain
substantial foaming therein; and a discharge zone in said injection
chamber from which a portion of said heated mass is injected to
fill the enlargeable cavity 19 wherein the injected mass is
initially exteriorly cooled by the mold to form a solidified
surface layer while being maintained under pressure; and finally
relieving the pressure and enlarging the cavity to permit the
central, relatively uncooled heated mass to expand and force the
solidified surface layer against the enlarged confining limit of
the cavity to form said sandwich construction molded foam
structure.
FIG. 7 shows a modified sandal according to the present invention
in which a rear cover member 25 preferably made of fur or haired
sheet is inseparably secured onto the back surface of the band
member 11 so as to facilitate the most suitable function even
during the cold winter together with the enhanced comfort. In
producing this typed sandal, the rear cover member 25 is positioned
in a spaces 21' of a mold 15' together with the band sections along
the back surfaces thereof before the thermoplastic resinous
material is injected into a cavity 19' of the mold 15' as shown in
FIG. 8. The mold 15' illustrated is FIG. 8 is constructed in
similar fashion to the mold 15, but distance between inner and
outer surfaces of each of the spaces 21' is somewhat larger than
that of the space 21 to allow insertion of the rear cover member 25
together with the band sections. Further, the inner surface of a
connection-forming chamber 23' is provided with a plurality of
suction openings 26 which are communicated with a suitable vacuum
pump (not shown) through a manifold 27 formed in the core mold
sections 17. Thus, when the rear cover member 25 is inserted in the
spaces 21' across the connection-forming chamber 23', a central
portion of the cover member 25 sat in the chamber 23' may be
downwardly withdrawn by feeding suction air from the openings 26,
whereby the cover member 25 can be mounted onto the back surface of
the band member as shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 shows the other embodiment of the article according to the
present invention, embodying into a sports shoe 31. The shoe
comprises an upper 32 and a sole 33 which is made of similar
material to the sole member of the sandal 15. The said upper 32 is
consisted of several sections, that is, a toe cap section 32A, side
vamp sections 32B, an upper vamp section 32C and counter sections
32D, these sections being inseparably jointed to each other at
adjacent edges thereof by elongated connections 34 which are
integrally formed with the sole 33. Preferably, the top cap section
32A and the counter sections 32D are formed of relatively strong
material such, for example, as natural leather or sheet,
reinforcing synthetic resin leather or sheet, or the like, and the
vamp sections being made of flexible and porous (meshy) leather or
sheet such as woven cloth or the like for ventilation.
FIGS. 10 and 11 show a mold available for producing the shoe
illustrated in FIG. 9 in which the mold 34 is provided with a
cavity 35. The cavity 35 includes a sole-forming chamber 35A,
connection-forming grooves or chambers 35B and spaces 35C for
closely inserting the upper sections thereinto. It will be
understood that, by using the mold 34 and by processing similar
manner to the first embodiment, the shoe 31 illustrated in FIG. 9
may be easily produced.
Further, the method of the present invention is capable of
producing a container as shown in FIG. 12 in which the container 40
comprises a bottom plate 41 made of thermoplastic resinous
material, vertical pillars 42 made of the same material with the
plate 41 and upwardly extending integrally from the each corner of
the bottom plate 41, and side walls 43 made of different material
from the bottom plate and the pillar such as wooden plate or sheet,
steel plate or sheet, synthetic resin plate or sheet, meshy plate
or sheet made of said suitable material, or the like, said walls
being fixedly supported by the pillars and the bottom plate.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a mold available for producing the container
in which the mold 44 is provided with a cavity 45 therein. The
cavity 45 includes a bottom-forming chamber 45A, pillar-forming
chamber 45B and spaces 45C for closely inserting the side walls 45
thereinto. After the side walls 43 are inserted in the appropriate
space as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the molten thermoplastic
resinous materials is injected into the chambers, and then the
material being cooled whereby the container formed of several
components of different material may be obtained.
Some kind of semi-boot is also able to be produced according to the
aforesaid method of the subject invention. For example, a semi-boot
as shown in FIG. 15 produced by the process comprises an sole 47
and an upper 46 which is provided with a toe cap sections 48 made
of reinforcing material such as natural leather or sheet, synthetic
resin leather or sheet, or the like, a counter sections 49 made of
the same or similar material to said cap sections 48, lateral side
sections 50 made of flexible and porous (meshy) leather or sheet
such as rough pitched woven or knitted cloth, perforated (porous)
synthetic resin sheet or leather, or the like for ventilation, an
outer eyelet reinforcement 51 made of suitable material sheet or
leather and said sections 48, 49, 50 and reinforcement 51 being
inseparably jointed to each other at adjacent edges thereof by
means of connecting members 52 made of thermoplastic resin material
and integrally connected to the sole 47. Also, a handbag as shown
in FIG. 16 is to be produced according to the aforesaid method of
the present invention. And, for example, the said handbag comprises
front section 53, rear section 54 which are made of flexible and
porous (meshy) leather or sheet such as woven or knitted cloth,
skin, haired leather or sheet, synthetic resin leather or sheet, or
the like while they may be made of the other leather or sheet as
rough pitched woven or knitted cloth, perforated (porous) synthetic
resin sheet or leather, or the like, lateral side sections 55 made
of same or similar leather or sheet to the sections 53, 54, a
bottom member 56 made of suitable conventional sheet or leather,
handles 57 and said sections 53, 54, 55 being inseparably joined to
each other at adjacent edges thereof by means of connecting members
58 made of thermoplastic resin material and integrally connected to
the bottom member 56.
While the present invention has been illustrated and described
herein with respect to a preferred embodiment, it is not desired to
limit the invention only to the embodiment, but the invention
should be considered to include all the substitutes, modifications
and equivalents which are encompassed within the essential part of
the invention to be set forth in the scope of the underwritten
claims and within the scope of the spirit exhibited in the
invention of the inventor.
* * * * *