Method for manufacturing light-weight waterproof shoe/boot

A method for manufacturing a light-weight waterproof shoe/boot includes steps of cutting waterproof leather, arranging and stacking vamp section, forming through hot pressing, sewing heel section, hot-pressing heel section, combining midsole, and injecting sole to accompany fabrication of a waterproof shoe/boot, in which fabrication of a vamp section and a shaft section is accomplished through hot pressing the waterproof leather that is coated with a hot-melt adhesive; a sewing line of a heel section is covered by a heel water-resistant plate that is attached thereto through hot pressing to provide an effect of waterproofness; and a sewing line between a midsole and the vamp section is covered by an upper rim of a sole to achieve an effect of waterproofness. The vamp section and the shaft section are made with the waterproof leather that is light and thin so that the weight of the waterproof shoe/boot is greatly reduced.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a light-weight waterproof shoe or boot, and more particularly to a method that accomplishes fabrication of a vamp section and shaft section by subjecting a piece of waterproof leather that is coated with a waterproof hot-melt adhesive to hot pressing, in which a sewing line of a heel section is covered by a heel water-resistant plate attached thereto through hot pressing so as to provide an effect of water resistance, and a sewing line between a midsole and the vamp section is covered by an upper rim of an outer contour of a sole to achieve an effect of water resistance, and the vamp section and the shaft section are made of the waterproof leather that is light and thin so that a waterproof shoe/boot made with the present invention may greatly reduce the weight thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

People often take certain working or leisure activities in daily living, and proper footwears, such as boots, must be worn in order to capably carry out such activities. Boots for such purposes must qualify by possessing features of wear resistance, water resistance, light weight, and softness or flexibility. For such requirements, the Applicant proposed, in Chinese Patent No. 201610019912.2 filed on Jan. 13, 2016, a process for manufacturing rubber footwears. The process is applicable to fabrication of rubber footwears showing the characteristics of being wear resistant, waterproof, light in weight, and soft, and various diversified models are available for such rubber footwear. However, such a rubber footwear involves decorative pieces each of which has a certain thickness, and this makes the footwear heavy.

Further, with reference toFIG. 21, which shows a known rubber boot70. The known rubber boot70includes a decorative piece71that is attached to the boot from a vamp section62to a shaft section73by sewing. This makes ineffective in resisting water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to make a product of shoe or boot that features light weight and waterproofness.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a method that at least comprises the following steps:

a first step of cutting, in which a piece of waterproof leather that has a back side coated with a water-resistant hot-melt adhesive is subjected to a cutting operation to make at least a vamp water-resistant plate, one to multiple vamp decorative plates, and a heel water-resistant plate, and selectively and additionally make a shaft water-resistant plate and one to multiple shaft decorative plates, wherein the vamp water-resistant plate has one side edge that is recessed inwardly to form a first insertion opening and the shaft water-resistant plate has one side edge that is formed with a shaft arc opening;

a second step of arranging pattern of vamp section, in which the vamp water-resistant plate and the one to multiple vamp decorative plates that are formed with the cutting operation in the previous step are arranged and stacked on a vamp lining plate that is in a planar form, and selectively and additionally, the shaft water-resistant plate and the one to multiple shaft decorative plates that are formed with the cutting operation in the previous step is arranged and stacked on a shaft lining plate, wherein the vamp lining plate has a side edge that is recessed inwardly to form a second insertion opening, such that the second insertion opening is in alignment with and overlaps the first insertion opening of the vamp water-resistant plate; and the shaft lining plate is formed with a lining arc opening on a side edge thereof corresponding to that of the shaft water-resistant plate that is formed with the shaft arc opening, wherein the shaft water-resistant plate is longer than the shaft lining plate such that the shaft arc opening of the shaft water-resistant plate projects beyond and is located outside the lining arc opening of the shaft lining plate, and a portion of shaft hot-melt adhesive that is located along a peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening is not covered by the shaft lining plate;

a third step of hot pressing, in which the vamp lining plate and the vamp water-resistant plate, and the vamp decorative plates that are arranged and stacked thereon are placed in a hot pressing apparatus for hot pressing, such that the hot-melt adhesive layer on the back sides of the vamp water-resistant plate and the vamp decorative plates are heated and melted to combine with the vamp lining plate as a unitary combination, and portions of the vamp water-resistant plate and the vamp decorative plates that are stacked on each other are combined together as a unitary combination so as to form a water-resistant vamp section; and selectively and additionally, the shaft lining plate and the shaft water-resistant plate arranged and stacked thereon are placed in the hot pressing apparatus for hot pressing, such that the hot-melt adhesive layer on the back side of the shaft water-resistant plate is heated and melted to combine with the shaft lining plate as a unitary combination to form a water-resistant shaft section;

a fourth step of combining vamp section and shaft section, in which a portion of the hot-melt adhesive that is located along a peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening of the shaft section is stacked on a peripheral edge of the first insertion opening of the vamp water-resistant plate of the vamp section formed in the previous steps and is subjected to hot pressing such that the portion of the shaft hot-melt adhesive that is located along the peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening of the shaft section is heated and melted to combine the shaft section and the vamp section to each other, wherein the step can be omitted if the method is used to make a shoe that does not have a shaft;

a fifth step of sewing heel section, in which vamp outer edges of the vamp section at two opposite sides of the first insertion opening are jointed to each other and are sewn together so that the vamp section and the shaft section form a three-dimensional configuration, wherein, in case that the method is used to make a boot that has a shaft, shaft outer edges of two opposite sides of the shaft section are jointed to each other and are sewn together, and wherein an opposite end of the shaft section forms a shaft opening that is connected to and in communication with the first insertion opening of the vamp section; and portions around two sides of the sewn sites of the vamp section and the shaft section form a heel section;

a sixth step of hot-pressing heel section, in which the heel water-resistant plate that is made in the cutting operation of the first step is set on and covering the sewing line of the vamp section and the shaft section and is subjected to hot pressing, so that the hot-melt adhesive on the back side of the heel water-resistant plate is heated and melted and combines with the vamp section and the shaft section to form a unitary combination, and a joint site that is between the heel water-resistant plate and the vamp section and the shaft section is made a waterproof interface therebetween;

a seventh step of combining midsole, in which a midsole is attached to and combined with a bottom of the vamp section by means of sewing or adhesive to form a semi-finished product; and

an eighth step of injecting sole, in which the semi-finished product is fit to a multi-segment last of an injection apparatus and a first mold member, a second mold member, and a third mold member are closed to enclose the semi-finished product, such that after the third mold member is closed, a sole gap is formed between a third mold cavity of the third mold member and the midsole of the semi-finished product; and a sole material that is heated and melted is injected into the third mold cavity of the third mold member to form a sole, wherein the sole material that is injected into the third mold cavity combines with the midsole and covers a joint interface between the midsole and the vamp section so that after being cooled, a product is formed and removed to form a light-weight waterproof boot/shoe product, wherein the sole material at least comprises rubber of polyurethane (PU).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first toFIGS. 1-19, the present invention provides, in an embodiment thereof, a method for manufacturing a waterproof boot, which comprises the following steps:

a first step of cutting, in which a piece of plastics-made waterproof leather10or rubber-made waterproof leather that has a back side coated with a water-resistant hot-melt adhesive is subjected to cutting and trimming to make a vamp water-resistant plate11, a first vamp decorative plate12, two second vamp decorative plates13, a heel water-resistant plate16, a shaft water-resistant plate14, and two shaft decorative plates15, wherein the vamp water-resistant plate11has one side edge that is notched or otherwise recessed inwardly to form a first insertion opening111, and the shaft water-resistant plate14has one side edge that is formed with a shaft arc or curved opening141; each of the vamp water-resistant plate11, the first vamp decorative plate12, the second vamp decorative plates13, the heel water-resistant plate16, the shaft water-resistant plate14, and the shaft decorative plates15can be made, according to a desired design of an appearance or configuration of a waterproof boot, by selectively cutting from one or the same sheet of plastics-made waterproof leather or from different sheets of plastics-made waterproof leather; and the plastics-made waterproof leather10at least comprises one of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE);

a second step of arranging pattern of vamp section18and shaft section20, in which the vamp water-resistant plate11that is cut in the previous step is arranged on a vamp lining plate17that is in a planar form, wherein the vamp lining plate17has a side edge that is notched or otherwise recessed inwardly to form a second insertion opening171, such that the second insertion opening171is in alignment with and overlaps the first insertion opening111of the vamp water-resistant plate11, and meanwhile, the first vamp decorative plate12is arranged and stacked on the vamp lining plate17at one side of the vamp water-resistant plate11to be aligned with an outer contour of the vamp lining plate17, and the two second vamp decorative plates13are respectively arranged and stacked on edge parts of two lateral sides of the second recessed opening171and are in alignment with the outer contour of the vamp lining plate17, such that the vamp water-resistant plate11, the first vamp decorative plate12, the two second vamp decorative plates13jointly and completely cover the vamp lining plate; and further, the shaft water-resistant plate14that is cut in the previous step is arranged and stacked on a shaft lining plate21, wherein the shaft lining plate21is formed with a lining arc or curved opening211on a side edge thereof corresponding to that of the shaft water-resistant plate14that is formed with the shaft arc opening141, wherein the shaft water-resistant plate14is made longer than the shaft lining plate21such that the shaft arc opening141of the shaft water-resistant plate14projects beyond and is located outside the lining arc opening211of the shaft lining plate21, namely a portion of shaft hot-melt adhesive142that is located along a peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening141is not covered by the shaft lining plate21, and the two shaft decorative plates15are respectively arranged and stacked on two side portions of the shaft water-resistant plate14;

a third step of hot pressing, in which the vamp lining plate17and the vamp water-resistant plate11, the first vamp decorative plate12, and the second vamp decorative plates13that are arranged and stacked thereon are placed in a hot pressing apparatus for hot pressing, such that the hot-melt adhesive layer on the back sides of the vamp water-resistant plate11, the first vamp decorative plate12, and the second vamp decorative plates13are heated and thus melted to combine with the vamp lining plate17as a unitary combination, and portions of the vamp water-resistant plate11, the first vamp decorative plate12, and the second vamp decorative plates13that are stacked on each other are also combined together as a unitary combination therebetween so as to form a water-resistant vamp section18(as shown inFIG. 3); further, the shaft lining plate21and the shaft water-resistant plate14and two shaft decorative plates15that are arranged and stacked thereon are also placed in the hot pressing apparatus for hot pressing, such that the hot-melt adhesive layer on the back sides of the shaft water-resistant plate14and the two shaft decorative plates15is heated and thus melted to combine with the shaft lining plate21and the shaft water-resistant plate14and the two shaft decorative plates15that are stacked on each other are also combined together to form a unitary combination therebetween so as to form a water-resistant shaft section20(as shown inFIG. 5);

a fourth step of combining vamp section18and shaft section20(as shown inFIGS. 6 and 7), in which a portion of the hot-melt adhesive that is located along a peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening141of the shaft section20is stacked on a peripheral edge of the first insertion opening111of the vamp water-resistant plate11of the vamp section18made in the previous steps and is subjected to hot pressing such that the portion of the shaft hot-melt adhesive142that is located along the peripheral edge of the shaft arc opening141of the shaft section20is heated and melted to combine the shaft section20and the vamp section18to each other;

a fifth step of sewing heel section (as shown inFIGS. 7 and 8), in which vamp outer edges181,182of the vamp section18at two opposite sides of the first insertion opening111are jointed to each other and shaft outer edges22,23of two opposite sides of the shaft section20are also jointed to each other, and they are sewn together so that the vamp section18and the shaft section20jointly form a three-dimensional configuration, wherein an opposite end of the shaft section20forms a shaft opening24that is connected to and in communication with the first insertion opening111of the vamp section18; and portions around two sides of the sewn sites (a sewing line) of the vamp section18and the shaft section20form a heel section;

a sixth step of hot-pressing the heel section (as shown inFIG. 8), in which the heel water-resistant plate16that is made in the cutting operation of the first step is set on and covering the sewing line25of the vamp section18and the shaft section20and is subjected to hot pressing, so that the hot-melt adhesive on the back side of the heel water-resistant plate16is heated and melted and fuses and combines with the vamp section18and the shaft section20to form a unitary combination, and a joint site that is between the heel water-resistant plate16and the vamp section18and the shaft section20is made a waterproof interface therebetween;

a seventh step of combining midsole, in which a midsole27is attached to and combined with a bottom of the vamp section18by means of sewing designated at271to form a semi-finished product30, wherein the midsole27may be alternatively combined with the vamp section18by means of adhesive; and

an eighth step of injecting sole (as shown inFIGS. 10-16), in which the above-formed semi-finished product30is sleeved over or fit to a multi-segment last50of an injection apparatus60; wherein the injection apparatus60comprises a first mold member61including a first mold cavity63and a second mold member62including a second mold cavity64, which are respectively and pivotally mounted at two sides of a fixing pillar65, such that the first mold member61and the second mold member62are movable relative to each other for closure to each other so as to enclose the semi-finished product30therebetween with only the midsole27and the sewing line271thereof exposed; the injection apparatus60further comprises a third mold member66, and the third mold member66includes a third mold cavity67, the third mold member being movable or otherwise operable to be closed onto the first mold member and the second mold member, with a sole gap68present between the third mold cavity and the midsole27, such that a rubber material that is heated to be in a melted form is injected into the sole gap68and the melted rubber injected into the sole gap68combine with the midsole27to form a sole31, wherein the sole31has an outer contour that has an upper rim311is attached to and combined with an outside surface of the vamp section to cover the sewing line271between the midsole271and the vamp section18(seeFIG. 9) to provide an effect of waterproofness (seeFIG. 17), and after cooling down, a product is formed and can be removed to provide a light-weight long-shaft waterproof boot40, wherein the sole is made of a material that may comprises polyurethane (PU).

Referring toFIGS. 10 and 16, it is particularly noted here that the multi-segment last50is structured as made up of various parts, including a shaft section51, a vamp section52, a heel section53, and a sole section54, and in addition, the multi-segment last50can be separated into three separate, individual portions, including a first slidable section501, a second slidable section502, and a non-slidable section503. The non-slidable section503is fixed and securely mounted to a fixing pillar65of the injection apparatus60. The first slidable section501is the part that forms a part of the vamp section52and a part of the shaft section51of the last50. The first slidable section501and the non-slidable section503have contact surfaces that are in surface engagement with each other and are inclined and are provided with a slide rack504and a slide channel505that are in mating engagement with each other arranged therebetween, so that the first slidable section501is reciprocally movable or slidable on and relative to the non-slidable section503, wherein the slide rack504and the slide channel505provided between the two sections are arranged to incline downward in a direction from the shaft section51toward the sole section54, so that when the first slidable section501moves in a direction toward the sole section54, the first slidable section501gradually reduces a vertical position, namely height, thereof relative to a horizon to get approaching to the second slidable section502. The second slidable section502is the part that forms the heel section53of the last50. The second slidable section502and the non-slidable section503have contact surfaces that are in surface engagement with each other and are inclined and are provided with a slide rack507and a slide channel506that are in mating engagement with each other arranged therebetween, so that the second slidable section502is reciprocally movable or slidable on and relative the non-slidable section503, wherein the slide rack507and the slide channel506provided between the two sections are arranged to incline upward in a direction from the shaft section51toward the sole section54, so that when the second slidable section502moves in a direction toward the sole section54, the second slidable section502gradually raises a vertical position, namely height, thereof relative to a horizon to get approaching to the first slidable section501. As such, the product of waterproof boot40so manufactured can be readily removed from the multi-segment last50. Oppositely, as shown inFIG. 10, to fit a semi-finished product30to the multi-segment last50, an similar operation is conducted, but in an opposite sequence, to readily fit the semi-finished product30to the multi-segment last50.

The above description indicates that the present invention possesses the following advantages:

(1) The present invention uses cured rubber-made waterproof leather or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) as a material to make the vamp section, and during the process of manufacturing, such materials do not require an operation of vulcanization to be applied thereto. As such, the present invention could great improve the efficiency of manufacturing waterproof boots or footwears.

(2) The present invention uses a hot-pressing operation to carry out fabrication of the vamp section18and the shaft section20, so that the vamp section18and the shaft section20completely require no operation of sewing or stitching and as a whole, complication of a sewing operation applied in manufacturing waterproof boots or footwears can be completely omitted to thereby greatly improve conventional shoe/boot manufacturing processes that involve additional operations of sewing or stitching. This, again, helps improve the efficiency of manufacturing waterproof boots or footwears greatly.

(3) The present invention accomplishes fabrication of the vamp section18and the shaft section20by subjecting a sheet of waterproof leather material that is coated with waterproof hot-melt adhesive to hot pressing, and the sewing line of the heel section can be covered by the heel plate16through hot pressing to provide an effect of water resistance, and in addition, the sewing line271between the midsole27and the vamp section18can be covered by the upper rim311of the outer contour of the sole31to provide an effect of water resistance. As such, the present invention may be applied to make a waterproof boot or footwear that exhibits an excellent effect of waterproofness.

(4) The present invention accomplishes fabrication of the vamp section18and the shaft section20by subjecting a sheet of waterproof leather material, which is light and thin, to hot pressing, so that comparison of the present invention to a waterproof footwear manufactured with the method disclosed in the previously cited Chinese Patent No. 201610019912.2 would show that a long-shaft waterproof boot40or a shaft-less waterproof footwear 41 manufactured with the method the present invention could greatly reduce the weigh thereof.

Referring toFIGS. 18 and 20, which illustrate a process according to the present invention that is applicable to manufacturing of a shaft-less waterproof footwear or shoe41, such a process is different from the method or process of the present invention that is used to make a waterproof boot40in that operations concerning fabrication of the shaft section20and combination of the shaft section20and the vamp section18are omitted, while the remaining operations and flow are exactly the same as those for the waterproof boot40. Therefore, repeated description will be omitted herein, but one can refer to what described above to manufacture a light-weight shaft-less waterproof shoe.

In summary, the present invention, as described above, demonstrate significant utilization and improvement, and to the best Applicant understands, no similar or identical invention has been proposed or filed for patent either domestically or aboard. The invention as descried above is believed novel and inventive.