Impermeable footwear structure

Abstract

 In an impermeable footwear structure comprising a sole (12) and an upper (14) which includes an internal lining (16), a padding (18) and an external covering material (22), there is provided, between the padding (18) and the external covering material (22), an impermeable membrane (20) having a lower peripheral edge which is secured in sealing manner to the lasting insole (26) by means of an impermeable strip (30).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to impermeable footwears structures.

[0002] The applications include both conventional footwears and footwears more specifically of the sport type, while in the following specification reference will be made purely by way of example to footwears of the sport type.

[0003] Footwears of this type comprise a sole and an upper which includes an internal lining, anintermediate padding and an external covering material (hides or synthetic material).

[0004] These footwears have to satisfy specific basic requirements including the fact that the footwear must be impermeable to water, that is to say, it must not allow water to penetrate into the inside of the footwear.

[0005] It is already known to produce sport footwears in which a film of impermeable material is interposed inside the external covering material and more specifically between the intermediate padding and the internal lining; this film extends over the entire footwear and thus also between the lasting insole and the anatomical insole, thus forming a kind of sock.

[0006] The prior art has proposed as an alternative a solution in which the impermeable film is provided only in the area of the footwear upper and is discontinued in the area of the mounting edge of the lasting insole of the footwear.

[0007] However, this solution has the disadvantage that the footwear is not impermeable, because water impregnating the lower portion of the upper (that is to say, the portion interposed between the sole and the lasting insole) comes into contact with the end of the terminal portion of the impermeable film and may go up inside, thus soaking the lining.

[0008] In order to avoid this disadvantage, it has been conceived and it forms the subject matter of the present invention, an impermeable footwear structure of the type indicated above,that is to say, comprising a sole and an upper, in which the sole holds the lower edges of the layers forming the upper against a lasting insole, and the upper is composed of an internal lining, an intermediate padding, an external covering material and a perspirant impermeable membrane interposed between the internal lining and the external covering material, characterized in that said impermeable membrane has a lower peripheral edge sealingly connected to an impermeable strip having a first end secured in sealing manner to the lasting insole.

[0009] It will be readily appreciated that, if water impegnates the external covering material, it will run along the outer surface of the impermeable membrane as far as the lower end thereof. However, because the lower portion of the membrane is connected in sealing manner to the lasting insole of the footwear, any penetration of water towards the lining and thus into the inside of the footwear is prevented.

[0010] The water proofing effect of the strip is complemented by the use, on the lower surface of the lasting insole, of an anchoring felt of known type which inhibits the propagation of water.

[0011] The features and other advantages of the invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof which is given by way of non limiting example with reference to the following appended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial cross section of a footwear according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is another partial cross section of the same footwear to which a sealing element has been added.

[0012] In Figure 1, a sport shoe has been generally indicated with 10.

[0013] The shoe 10 comprises a sole 12 and an upper 14. The upper 14 includes an internal lining 16, which extends from the inside towards the outside, an intermediate padding 18, a perspirant impermeable membrane 20 and a covering material 22 which, in the figure, is completed by a hides covering 24. It is also possible to have other layers of padding, for example between the covering material 22 and the impermeable membrane 20, and the membrane 20 could also be positioned in direct contact with the hides covering 24.

[0014] Arranged inside the shoe 10 are a lasting insole 26, which is covered at the bottom with a layer of felt (not represented in the figure) and, above that, an anatomical or removable insole 28.

[0015] The internal lining 16, the padding 18, the impermeable membrane 20, the covering material 22 and the hides covering 24 extend as far as an intermediate position between the edge of the lasting insole 26 and the central portion thereof, each forming a peripheral edge. The peripheral edge of the impermeable membrane 20 is secured in sealing manner to an impermeable element or strip 30 interposed between the sole 12 and the lasting insole 26. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the strip 30 has a first end 30b which is rigidly secured between the sole 12 and the lasting insole 26 and a second end 30a which is secured in sealing manner to the sole 12 and to a lower edge of the upper 14.

[0016] It is, however, possible to provide a continuous impermeable element having an internal portion, which is rigidly secured between the sole 12 and the lasting insole, and a peripheral edge which is secured in sealing manner to the sole 12 and to a lower edge of the upper 14.

[0017] Figure 2 shows a shoe 40, similar to the previous shoe, in which the internal lining 16, the intermediate padding 18 and the perspirant impermeable membrane 20 extend as far as the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the lasting insole 26, while the covering material 22 and the hides covering 24 extend until they come into contact with the impermeable strip 30. Interposed between the lasting insole 26 and the covering material 22 is a sealing element 42 of impermeable material, such as plastics material, having an internal peripheral edge secured in sealing manner to the impermeable strip 30, and a forked external peripheral edge defined by two ends 42a, 42b which clamp the lower end of the internal lining 16, of the padding 18 and of the impermeable membrane 20 in sealing manner between them. Another major obstacle to the possible penetration of water towards the inside of the shoe is thus created.

[0018] Finally, it will be appreciated that changes or modifications conceptually or functionally fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, the strip 30 could constitute the peripheral edge of an element of the same material suitable of covering the lower surface of the lasting insole 26 completely or almost completely.

Claims

1. An impermeable footwear structure of the type comprising a sole (12) and an upper (14), in which the sole (12) holds the lower edges of the layers forming the upper (14) against a lasting insole (26), and the upper (14) is composed of an internal lining (16), an intermediate padding (18), an external covering material (22) and a perspirating impermeable membrane (20) interposed between the internal lining (16) and the external covering material (22), characterized in that the impermeable membrane (20) has a lower peripheral edge connected in sealing manner to an impermeable element or strip (30) secured in sealing manner to the lasting insole (26).

2. A footwear structure according to claim 1, characterized in that said impermeable element is a strip (30) having a first end (30b) which is secured in sealing manner to the lasting insole (26).

3. A footwear structure according to claim 2, characterized in that said impermeable strip (30) has a second end (30a) which is secured rigidly to the sole (12).

4. A footwear structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said impermeable membrane (20) is interposed between the padding (18) and the external covering material (22).

5. A footwear structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lower peripheral edge of the impermeable membrane (20) is secured in sealing manner directly an the impermeable strip (30).

6. A footwear structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a sealing element (42) of impermeable material is interposed between the lasting insole (26) and the sole (12) and has an internal peripheral edge secured in sealing manner to the impermeable strip (30), and a forked external peripheral edge defining two ends (42a, 42b) which clamp at least the lower end of the impermeable membrane (20) in sealing manner between them.

7. A footwear structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the ends (42a, 42b) of the external peripheral edge of the sealing element (42) clamp the lower end of the internal lining (16), of the padding (18) and of the impermeable membrane (20) in sealing manner between them

Drawing