|
(11) | EP 4 248 786 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (54) | DISASSEMBLABLE AND RECYCLABLE FOOTWEAR |
| (57) The traditional manufacturing method of footwear comprising a large number of components
sewn and glued together represents a limit for their recyclability: all components
of different materials cannot be easily separated for a clean recycling, where clean
means the recycling of a material that is not contaminated by other materials. Moreover,
if it is possible to carry out the separation of all materials, this would in any
case imply a waste of time such as to make the process uneconomical. The solution to this problem is provided by the present invention: a disassemblable footwear, in which all components are mono-material and can be easily separated to be recycled and, therefore, return a raw-secondary material that can also be reused in the production cycle of a new footwear. |
Technical field
[0001] The present invention relates to a footwear, where footwear means, for instance, but without the list being exhaustive: shoes, sandals, boots, and the like, hereinafter indicated with the generic term "footwear". The following description will specifically refer to shoes, being it understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the possible applications of the invention.
Prior art
[0002] At the state of the art a traditional footwear of the known type is made of several components assembled together in one or more phases by means of seams or glues. Each model of footwear may have different components based on its features, however the main components generally are: upper, assembly insole, sole, and heel.
[0003] The upper is the upper part of the footwear, which is joined to the assembly insole by seam or glue; the upper is generally formed by a great number of components of different materials sewn or glued together: the most used materials are leather, plastic, or fabric. The sole is the lower part of the footwear in direct contact with the ground, intended to protect the plantar surface. The upper and the assembly insole are generally joined to the sole through seams or glue. The heal is applied to the rear part and may also be an integral part of the sole.
[0005] It is universally recognized that the shape of the traditional footwear of the known type in some cases makes the footwear recycling phase impossible, in other cases a long and absolutely inefficient process due to the following drawbacks:
- various components of the footwear must be separated prior to being recycled; for instance, sole and upper cannot be sent for recycling together since they are made of different materials;
- separating all of the components made of different materials kept together by seams or glues implies a considerably large amount of time;
- the separation of the components joined by seams or glues however does not ensure the non-contamination between the different materials that cannot be recycled together.
[0006] The existence of modular or disassemblable footwear is also known, wherein all of the components are assembled together through systems of interlocking joints and twines, but generally these shoes have the following drawbacks:
- they may be made of a great number of components which makes the separation time-consuming and, therefore, the recycling process uneconomical;
- the production processes of these shoes cannot be implemented in the production cycle of the traditional footwear since they need different tools or different machinery.
[0007] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a new type of footwear able to solve the above drawbacks.
Technical problem to be solved
[0008] An optimal recycling process, in which the outgoing recycled material ensures suitable performances also for being reintroduced into the production cycle which it derives from, must be fed by incoming material that is not contaminated by other materials which affect the process. As it is well known, therefore, at the state of the art there is no footwear that allows an optimal recycling, which can be easily and quickly disassembled and whose production may be implemented inside the traditional production cycle.
Description of the invention
[0009] Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a disassemblable and recyclable footwear made of components designed to be easily separated and recycled, whose production may be inserted into the traditional production cycle. To this end, all of the components which it is made up of are reduced in number and optimized to be assembled without the use of glues or seams between components of different materials, but through a system of interlocking joints and twines that speeds up and facilitates the assembly and subsequent disassembly to be recycled in an optimal manner.
[0010] It is understood that these components can also be made of several pieces sewn together, but without these being made of different materials or materials that cannot be recycled together; for instance: component "A" may be made of pieces of fabric of material "B" sewn together through a thread of material "B", since the same material composition of the pieces of fabric and thread does not affect the recyclability of the entire component "A".
Brief description of the drawings
[0011] Further features of the invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings. By way of a purely exemplifying and non-limiting example of the scope of possible applications of the invention, in the drawings a footwear of the "shoe" type constructed according to the criteria of the aforementioned invention has been illustrated.
[0012] In these drawings:
- in Fig. 1 the main components of the shoe constructed according to the criteria of the aforementioned invention have been illustrated;
- in Fig. 2 the technical views of the assembled shoe constructed according to the criteria of the above invention are shown;
- in Fig. 3 the section along axis A-A' is represented with reference to Fig. 1, with enlargement.
Detailed description
[0013] In Fig. 1 the main components that when assembled make up the entire shoe are represented, in particular:
- external structure (1);
- sock-liner (2);
- hygienic insole (3).
[0015] The external structure (1) is the outermost component that embeds the sock-liner (2) and the hygienic insole (3) therein, it protects the foot from external shocks and gives robustness to the entire shoe.
[0016] The sock-liner (2) wraps the foot supporting it in every movement and creates a softer layer between foot and external structure (1).
[0017] The hygienic insole (3) gives greater comfort and creates a further layer between the external structure (1) and the most stressed area of the foot, the sole of the foot; it can also be easily removed to clean and sanitize the shoe.
[0018] The sock-liner (2) is made of the upper (2b) and the assembly insole (2c) sewn together. On the lower part of the assembly insole (2c) the lace (2a) is sewn. (See Fig. 1 and Fig. 3)
[0019] The sock-liner (2) is inserted inside the external structure (1), which has therein a cavity (1a) that blocks the entire perimeter of the assembly insole (2c) along the seam with the upper (2b). This allows creating a solid union between external structure (1) and sock-liner (2). (See Fig. 3)
[0020] To make this union even more resistant and secure, the lace (2a), sewn under the assembly insole (2c), creates a twine between the external structure (1) and the sock-liner (2), following the path illustrated in Fig. 3: the above lace (2a) is first passed through the slots (1b) and then through the slots (2d), in the lower part of the external structure (1) and in the assembly insole (2c), respectively. Afterwards, the lace (2a) is passed through the slots (1c) following the path indicated in Fig. 3, to be then sewn on the upper (2b) in point (2e) to prevent the involuntary dissolution of said twine. It is important for the lace to be inserted into the slots (1b), (2d) and (1c) before the sock-liner (2) is completely inserted into the external structure (1). Once the sock-liner (2) is inserted and embedded correctly inside the external structure (1), the lace (2a) is stretched and sewn in point (2e). (See Fig. 3)
[0022] All of the components, seams and assemblies may be made through known methods, machinery, and tools widely spread in the traditional footwear field.
[0023] The material which each component is made of has a key role since it determines the optimal recycling or not of the component and must adequately fulfill its function. Only by way of example and without limitation of the scope of the possible materials usable in the present invention, the materials may be:
- TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for the external structure (1);
- PL (polyester) for the sock-liner (2) and all of the components which compose it, including the thread used for the seams. The upper (2b) may have a neglectable percentage of elastomer which does not affect the recycle;
- cork for the hygienic insole (3).
[0024] The separation of the components is easy and quick: extracting the hygienic insole (3), cutting or unsewing the lace (2a) in the point of the seam (2e) and extracting the sock-liner (2) from the external structure (1) taking care to leave the assembly insole (2c) from the cavity (1a): the lace released from the seam at the point (2e) which held it in place, will slide out as one with the sock-liner (2).
1. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear of the type comprising:
- an external structure (1), made of a first material, which embeds a sock-liner (2) and a hygienic insole (3) therein, protects the foot from external shocks, gives robustness to the entire footwear and is designed for the contact with the ground;
- a sock-liner (2), made of a second material, which wraps the foot and creates a softer layer between the foot and the external structure (1), made of an upper (2b) sewn on an assembly insole (2c);
- a hygienic insole (3), made of a third material, which gives more comfort and creates a further layer between the external structure (1) and the sole of the foot, and which may also be easily removed to clean and sanitize the footwear;
characterized in that said external structure (1), said sock-liner (2), and said hygienic insole (3) are stably associated with each other through a system of interlocking joints and twines which makes the separation process easy and economical.2. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to the previous claim, characterized in that said external structure (1), said sock-liner (2), and said hygienic insole (3) are
recyclable.
3. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that said first material, said second material, and said third material may be the same
or different from each other and are made of the following materials:
- recyclable polymer;
- recyclable rubber;
- recyclable foam;
- recyclable material of natural origin.
4. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to the previous claims, characterized in that the external structure (1) has a cavity (1a) that locks therein the entire perimeter
of the assembly insole (2c) along the seam with the upper (2b).
5. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 4, wherein said cavity (1a)
is made by an internal undercut of the external structure (1) into which the external
perimeter of the assembly insole (2c) is introduced in an interlocking manner.
6. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to one of the previous claims, further
comprising a lace (2a) sewn on the lower part of the sock-liner (2).
7. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 6, characterized in that the lace (2a), sewn under the assembly insole (2b), is passed throughout first slots
(1b) and (2d), in the lower part of the external structure (1) and in the assembly
insole (2c), respectively, thus creating a twine between the two parts.
8. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to the previous claims, characterized in that the lace (2a) is passed throughout second slots (1c), so as to be sewn on the upper
(2b) to prevent the unvoluntary dissolution of said twine.
9. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to one of the previous claims, wherein
the separation of the sock-liner (2) from the external structure (1) is irreversible.
10. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 9, comprising a lace (2a)
provided with a first end integrally associated, for instance through seam, with the
sock-liner (2) or with the external structure (1), a second end integrally associated,
for instance through seam, with the sock-liner (2) or with the external structure
(1), said lace developing along a path that passes throughout one or more slots (1b,
2d, 1c) formed in the sock-liner (2), in the external structure (1), or in both, so
as to make sock-liner (2) and external structure (1) integral.
11. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 10, wherein at least one
of the ends of said lace (2a) is outside the footwear or placed inside the upper close
to the upper opening thereof, so as to allow the user to easily decouple said end
from the footwear to separate sock-liner (2) and external structure (1).
12. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claim 11, wherein said lace (2a),
at an end, forms a loop which raises outside above the footwear heel.
13. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to claims 10-12, wherein the path
of the lace (2a) enters or exits from an internal gap formed in a lower sole of the
internal structure (1) through first slots (1b).
14. Disassemblable and recyclable footwear according to one of claims 10-13, wherein said
lace (24) comes out of the external structure (1), trough second through-slots (2c),
in a tract that runs vertically along the heel of the footwear.
15. Method for making a footwear according to any one of claims 1-14, comprising a phase
of associating the external structure (1) with the sock-liner (2) and a phase of introducing
the hygienic insole (3) into the sock-liner.