Patent Publication Number: US-6701641-B2

Title: Lining for waterproof shoe

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a waterproof shoe, and more particularly to an improved lining for waterproof shoe. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Waterproof shoes with a shoe structure which includes a lining having waterproof and wearing comfort functions are widely known. The lining described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,369 (as shown in FIG. 1) is an improvement. The lining in that case includes a body  1  and an insole board  2 . The lower end area of the body is turned back to form a folded portion  3  adhering to the under side of the insole board  2 . In such constructions the folded portion  3  must be made in several pleats, specially in the area corresponding to the frontmost part of a foot, to be easily adhered to the under side of the insole board  2 . However, it will cause the user&#39;s foot to feel uncomfortable, since the front space of the lining which is used to receive the toe of a foot is narrowed. Further, the folded line  4  is a stress concentrating position so that it is easily torn when using a period of time. This means that water can penetrate along the folded line to the inside of the lining. In addition, when the material that the lining used is made thicker, the processes to turn back the lower end area of the lining to form the folded portion  3  adhering to the insole board  2  becomes difficult. And in such conditions, the numbers of interstices between the pleats formed in the folded portion  3  are increased. Water which penetrates the shoe will then easily creep along the interstices into the inside of the lining. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore the primary objective of the present invention to provide an improved lining for waterproof shoe which can be manufactured more simply and economically. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide an improved lining for waterproof shoe which is more comfortable than prior art in wearing. 
     It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an improved lining having a waterproof function of which is better than prior art. 
     In carrying out the objectives of the invention, the lining of the invention has a lining body made of waterproof material which has a full side wall forming a complete enclosure except for the top and bottom, said body being made to conform to the shape and size of the interior of the shoe. An insole board with the edge thereof is connected with the lower end of the side wall of said body. A bridging strip made of waterproof material has an upper end that is joined to the lower end of said side wall of said body, and a lower end that is turned back in such a manner that said strip encloses the seam of said body and forms a folded portion below the under side of said insole board. The contact surfaces between said strip, said side wall of said body and said insole board being sealed. 
     The invention will be better understood and additional objectives and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional lining for waterproof shoe; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a lining of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a behind view of the lining as shown in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view looking at the section  4 — 4  of FIG. 2; and 
     FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4 but only depicts the lining body and the bridging strip. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a lining embodied in the present invention  10  comprises a lining body  20 , and insole board  30 , a bridging strip  40 , waterproof tape  50  and an insole gasket  60 . 
     The lining body  20  is made of a waterproof construction. It can be leather or canvas usually with a soft fabric backing; or, it can be a laminate in which one layer comprises a waterproof, breathable membrane. In producing, the lining body  20  is formed by sewing two symmetry pieces  22  together. Each said piece  22  is cut out from the material mentioned above. The seams of the two pieces are indicated by the numerals  24  and  26 . The lining body  20  has a full side wall forming a complete enclosure except for the top and bottom. The lining body  20  is made to conform to the shape and size of the interior of the shoe and has a top opening  28  to allow the user&#39;s foot to enter the space defined thereby. In addition, the outersurfaces of the seams  24  and  26  are sealed by a waterproof tape  29 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the lower end of the lining body  20  is sewed on the terminated edge of the insole board  30 . The seam of the two parts mentioned above is indicated by the numeral  32 . The bridging strip  40  is made of a laminate in which one layer comprises a waterproof membrane and has a predetermined width. The upper end of the bridging strip  40  is sewed on the lower end of the side wall of the lining body  20 . The seam of the two parts is indicated by the numeral  42 . The lower end of the bridging strips  40  is turned back in such a manner that the bridging strip  40  encloses the seam  32  and forms a folded portion  44  below the under side of the insole board  30 . The contact surfaces between the bridging strip  40 , the side wall of the lining body  20  and the insole board  30  are adhered together. The production of the lining construction mentioned above is operated on a shoe last to which the lining body  20  is attached. 
     In addition, for getting a better waterproof effect, the outersurfaces of the seam  42  is sealed by a waterproof tape  50  and an insole gasket  60  is adhered to the under surfaces of the folded portion  44  of the bridging strip  40  and the insole board  30 . 
     The advantages of this new lining are numerous. The front space of the lining which is used to receive the toe of user&#39;s foot will not be narrowed since the lower end area of the lining body need not turn back to form a folded portion adhering to the under side of the insole board. The thickness of the lining body will not have any ill effects to the producing process of the lining. The shortcoming of the conventional lining having a folded line easily torn will be overcome since there is no folded line on the lining body but on the bridging strip, and the bridging strip can be made of a material having a tensile force stronger than the material of which the lining body is made.