FOOTWEAR SOLE, MOULDED WITH THERMOPLASTIC OR ALLIED MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE SIDE OF A VAMP OF LEATHER OR OF SIMILAR MATERIALS

Abstract: This invention relates to a footwear sole including the side of the upper, made up of a sheet (1) of leather duly die-cut to act both as shoe bottom and lateral upper, which, during moulding, will include an anatomic arch support 2 on the upper part and on the lower part several raised pellets 3 pro­ jecting from the same number of holes purposely provided on the sheet of leather itself; both arch support 2 and pellets (3) are made of thermoplastic materials.

Description: This invention regards a footwear sole moulded in thermoplastic material or similar, in which the sole comprises downwards protruding pellets passing across the sole. The invention has been conceived with the purpose of improving the production process and at the same time the functional characteristics of modern footwear combining a sole of thermoplastic resin and a shoe-upper made of leather or equivalent synthetic material. At present, in order to produce this type of footwear, soles and uppers are manufactured separately and then are combined, usually by glueing and sewing each upper onto the relevant sole made of plastic material. Following this process, FR-A-1021759, discloses a process to realize a sole with said pellets, being intended, after realization the sole to combine this one with an upper in a different process. FR-A-1021759, further discloses a method to realize pellets that include the sole wherein in order to simplify the process a channeling net (7) is realized over the sole to create an interconnection in the moulding between each pellet protruding from the sole. This solution presents the followings inconvenients: necessity to provide a further step to combine the upper with the sole; necessity to spend separate material to realize separate upper and separate sole; necessity to combine in the shoe an inner countersole to cover the respective interconnection net and moulded material over the sole (ref 7 in FR-A-1021759 Figs 3-4), the sole being in this case complex to realize requiring previously net channeling in the upper surface. Further it is rather expensive to realize separately the upper and connecting it to the sole for producing the entire shoe, and the result is not optimal. The invention as claimed solves the problems by a footwear sole realized in two parts: a sole hooled in corrispondence to the sole plant and, a plurality of pellets in thermoplastic material or similar, incorporated to the sole in said holes and protruding downwards from the sole plant characterized in that: the sole is composed of a sheet of leather or similar material previously die-cut in upper shape to realize the upper of the shoe; the plastic moulded material to realize said plurality of pellets is extended over the entire plantar of the shoe to realize a continuous inner countersole. After injecting the thermoplastic material in a mould purposely hollowed, the central part of the sheet of leather is caught within the cooled cast, which above the sheet takes on the shape of a real anatomic sole and beneath it gives rise to the development of two different groups of pellets protruding from the holes, which will replace the heel and the half fore sole. These pellets have externally a diameter bigger than the one of the corresponding hole made on the leather sheet to prevent dust or water from passing through it. If compared with the production of conventional footwear, this new shoe, being monobloc-produced, saves time in the shoe assembly eliminating both the sawing and the stitching phases of the upper with the sole and at the same time the risk of accidental detachment of one from the other. At any rate it is logical that to finish the shoe it is then necessary to sew or stitch the upper eventually with the upper central portion to close the upper completing the shoe, being this phase referred only to accomplish the upper. For better clarity the invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings, shown merely for illustrative purposes, and not restrictive, in which: fig. 1 is a top plan inside view of the upper-sole according to the invention in flat condition after moulding; fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the upper-sole according to the invention as per Fig.1; fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the pellets projecting from the bottom of the shoe; fig. 4 is the schematic representation of a shoe produced by using the upper-sole according to the invention. With reference to the figures enclosed, the upper-sole object of this invention, comprises a sheet of leather or of equivalent synthetic material (1) duly die-cut, which covers the underneath part of the sole and acts, at the same time, with an outer strap folded upwards, as a lateral upper. After being inserted between the two parts of a mould for footwear soles, and following injection and cooling of thermoplastic resin, the central part of the leather sheet forms, inside the shoe, the countersole (2) of the sole, and outside the shoe, two groups of several small raised pellets (3) located in such a way as to replace the heel and the half fore sole and to act as a tread. These pellets have a surface extension bigger than the area of each hole made on the leather sheet, from which they protrude, and this therefore prevents dust and water form passing through. It is understood that, using the same method, any polygonal shape can be given to the raised pellet (3) and not only the small button shaped one which the drawings refer to for a better exemplification.

Claims: Footwear sole realized in two parts: a sole hooled in corrispondence to the sole plant and, a plurality of pellets in thermoplastic material or similar, incorporated to the sole in said holes and protruding downwards from the sole plant the sole is composed of a sheet of leather or similar material characterized in that: -the sheet of leather is previously die-cut in upper shape (1) to realize the upper of the shoe; the plastic moulded material to realize said plurality of pellets is extended over the entire plantar of the shoe to realize a continuous inner countersole (2). Footwear sole as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said plurality of pellets are distributed in two groups (3) corresponding to the areas where heel and half fore sole are usually applied in conventional footwear.

Inventors: SENSINI, ANDREA
Applicants: BETAPLAST - S.R.L. (JOINT-STOCK COMPANY LIMITED)
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A43B13
IPC codes: A43B13