|
(11) | EP 1 276 398 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
|
|
| (54) |
FOOTBALL BOOT FUSSBALLSCHUH CHAUSSURE DE FOOTBALL |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] This invention relates to sports shoes and in particular sports shoes used in sports where the feet are used to control a ball. Examples of suitable applications for the invention are in soccer boots and rugby football boots.
[0002] Football boots are well known and have a tough upper surface suitable for handling the impact of a travelling ball or the force behind the wearer kicking the ball. Often the heel of the boot will also be of a toughened material to cope with impacts in back passing the ball. In some football boots, for example that known as the ADIDAS® PREDATOR ™ , the upper surface of the boot is provided with a ridged, relatively high friction surface. This added friction causes a ball approaching the surface of the boot from an oblique angle to slow down on contact with the surface giving the wearer greater opportunity to turn and direct the ball before passing it to another player. It may also make it easier for the wearer to stop a moving ball with his foot.
[0003] GB-A-2 286 517 and FR-A-2 365 972 disclose the features of the preamble of claim 1, and WO 96 32 856 discloses an extruded or casted pad containing a fluid.
[0004] The present invention aims to provide a boot which gives further control to the wearer in manoeuvring a ball.
[0005] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a football boot comprising the features of claim 1.
[0006] According to the invention, the elasticated frictional surface is provided in the form of a plurality of pieces of frictional material fixed to an elasticated surface.
[0007] As a ball hits the elasticated frictional surface the frictional material provides grip, thereby slowing the ball. At the same time the elasticated portion gives a little, travelling with the ball and once the ball has slowed sufficiently, pulls the ball back towards the position at which it first impacted the shoe. This assists the wearer in the slowing and holding of the ball as he receives it, giving him better opportunity than in the prior art boots to control and redirect the ball.
[0008] The frictional material is preferably a rubber or rubber like material having a grooved, castellated or otherwise roughened surface. Where provided as a plurality of pieces, the pieces may be of any shape but are suitably square, rectangular or diamond shaped. The pieces may be fixed to an elasticated material substrate by any suitable means such as stitching or chemical bonding. Different pieces may, optionally, be provided with different types of frictional surface, for example, some may be grooved, others castellated. Optionally, the frictional surface may comprise raised figures or alphanumeric characters which may, for example, be indicative of the brand name of the shoe or the manufacture providing the shoe.
[0009] Suitable elastic materials include rubbers, or any fabrics incorporating an elastic material such as Lycra™ or Elastane™. Preferable the material is durable and wear resistant.
[0010] According to the invention, the ball controlling surface further comprises a layer of confined fluid beneath the elasticated layer. This fluid layer may conveniently be provided in the form of a gel such as a silicone gel. On impact by a ball, this fluid layer will give, absorbing some kinetic energy from the moving ball, again permitting the ball to be slowed down more quickly and effectively than with the prior art boots.
[0011] The ball controlling surface may be provided on the toe and upper front surface of the boot or the rear heel portion of the boot. Optionally both surfaces may be provided with a ball controlling surface according to the present invention.
[0012] The invention will now be further described with reference to the following Figures in which;
Figure 1 shows the external appearance of one embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 shows the embodiment of Figure 1 with a section through part of the ball controlling surface to illustrate its layered structure.
Figure 3 illustrates schematically how the embodiment of figures 1 and 2 may be manufactured.
[0013] As can be seen from Figure 1, the basic shape of the boot 1 resembles that of known football boots. It has a sole 2 carrying a plurality of studs 3a, 3b, 3c,..... and an upper surface 4 comprising a tongue 5, a foot encapsulating portion 6 and laces 7 threaded through holes 8a, 8b, 8c,.... provided either side of a slashed opening 9 provided in the foot encapsulating portion 6. The toe portion 10 of the foot encapsulating portion 6 is provided with a ball controlling surface in accordance with the present invention. The upper surface of the ball controlling portion is provided with a plurality of diamond shaped pieces of rubber 11a, 11b, 11c,..... affixed to underlying elasticated layer 12. Each piece of rubber 11a, 11b, 11c,.... has a grooved surface to provide additional friction. It is to be noted that the pieces of rubber 11a, 11b, 11c,.... are slightly raised from elasticated layer 12 and are spaced slightly apart from each other, this in itself provides a frictional property to the ball controlling surface.
[0014] From Figures 2 and 3 it can be seen that between the foot encapsulating portion 6 of the shoe and the elasticated layer 12 is provided a fluid layer 13, in this case made up of a globular gel-like substance. The heel portion 14 of the foot encapsulating portion 6 may also optionally be provided with a ball controlling surface in accordance with the present invention. In Figure 3, the letters A, B and C represent sequential steps in the manufacture of the embodiment illustrated.
1. A football boot (1) having a ball controlling surface which comprises an elasticated
frictional surface (12) having affixed thereto a plurality of pieces of frictional
material, 11a, 11b, 11c,..., characterized in that the ball controlling surface further comprises a layer (13) of confined fluid beneath
the elasticated surface.
2. A football boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pieces of frictional material are
substantially diamond shaped.
3. A football boot as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the frictional surface is
provided by a rubber or rubber like material having a grooved, castellated or otherwise
roughened surface.
4. A football boot as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the confined layer of fluid
comprises a gel.
5. A football boot as claimed in claim 4 wherein the gel comprises silicone.
1. Fußballschuh (1) mit einer Ballstoßfläche, die eine elastische Reibungsoberfläche
(12) aufweist, auf der mehrere Stücke aus Reibungsmaterial (11a, 11b, 11c ...) festgelegt
sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Ballstoßfläche unter der elastischen Fläche eine Schicht (13) mit einem eingeschlossenen
Fluid aufweist.
2. Fußballschuh nach Anspruch 1, bei welchem die Stücke aus Reibungsmaterial im wesentlichen
rhombusförmig ausgebildet sind.
3. Fußballschuh nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei welchem die Reibungsoberfläche
aus einem Gummi oder einem gummiartigen Material besteht, das eine genutete, eine
gerippte oder auf andere Weise angerauhte Oberfläche besitzt.
4. Fußballschuh nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, bei welchem die eingeschlossene Fluidschicht
aus einem Gel besteht.
5. Fußballschuh nach Anspruch 4, bei welchem das Gel Silicon aufweist.
1. Une chaussure de football (1) comportant une surface de contrôle du ballon qui comprend
une surface de friction rendue élastique sur laquelle sont fixées une pluralité de
pièces de matière de friction (11a, 11b, 11c...,) caractérisée en ce que la surface de contrôle du ballon comprend en outre une couche (13) de fluide enfermé
en-dessous de la surface rendue élastique.
2. Chaussure de football selon la revendication 1 où les pièces de matière de friction
ont une forme sensiblement en losange.
3. Chaussure de football selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes où la
surface de friction est pourvue d'un caoutchouc ou d'une matière caoutchouteuse ayant
une surface striée, crénelée ou rendue rugueuse autrement.
4. Chaussure de football selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3 où la couche
de fluide enfermé comprend un gel.
5. Chaussure de football selon la revendication 4 où le gel comprend du silicone.