Abstract:
Systems and methods are involved with but are not limited to: placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is related to and/or claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Priority Applications”), if any, listed below (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)). In addition, the present application is related to the “Related Applications,” if any, listed below. 
       Priority Application(s) 
       [0002]    The present application claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/679,837, entitled LEATHER-ENHANCED RUBBER OUTSOLE, naming Karl Moehring as inventor, filed 6 Aug. 2012, which was filed within the twelve months preceding the filing date of the present application or is an application of which a currently co-pending priority application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. 
     
    
     RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0003]    None. 
         [0004]    If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with the listings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claim priority to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of the ADS and to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of this application. 
         [0005]    All subject matter of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. 
         [0006]    If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date of this application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Any applications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120, 121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of such applications, are also incorporated by reference, including any priority claims made in those applications and any material incorporated by reference, to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In one aspect, a method includes, but is not limited to, placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the disclosure set forth herein. 
         [0008]    In one aspect, a footwear outsole includes, but is not limited to, one or more leather pieces; and rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces. In addition to the foregoing, various other aspects are set forth and described in the teachings such as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present disclosure. The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of embodiments, reference now is made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicates similar or identical items, unless context dictates otherwise. 
           [0010]    With reference now to the figures, shown are one or more examples of disparate material outsole based articles of manufacture, compositions of matter, systems for producing and/or methods for producing same that may provide context, for instance, in introducing one or more processes and/or devices described herein. 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of portions of a combined leather-rubber molded outsole system in a first phase of production. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the outsole mold shown as part of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side-elevation top plan view of the outsole mold shown as part of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1  in a second phase of production. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1  in a third phase of production. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1  in a fourth phase of production. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1  in a fifth phase of production. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a first phase of a disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a second phase of a disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is a bottom plan view of an alternative implementation of the disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. 
         [0022]    To construct footwear outsoles for footwear (e.g. shoes, boots, sandals, etc.), various forms of separate leather components (e.g. solid-bends, cut soles, built units, etc.), or separate rubber components (e.g. solid sheet, cut soles, built units, insert molded, molded on, etc.) are in some conventional approaches used alone. Other conventional approaches utilize differing properties of leather and rubber components for different outsole exterior surfaces (e.g. ground contact surfaces for contacting floors, sidewalks, earth, etc.) through first separately forming the components and then coupling them together (e.g. gluing, stitching, etc.) in final assembly. 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a combined leather-rubber molded outsole system  10  depicted at least in part in  FIG. 1  can form, through a single molding process, a combined leather-rubber molded outsole (e.g. outsole  100  of  FIG. 9 , outsole  100  of  FIG. 10 , etc.) having various rubber and leather exterior contact surfaces (e.g. leather exterior contact surfaces  20   b,    22   b,    24   b,    26   b,  and  28   b  and rubber exterior contact surfaces  44 ,  48 ,  52  of  FIGS. 8 and 9  further discussed above). 
         [0024]    Outsole system  10  is depicted in  FIG. 1  in a first phase of a corresponding method to include mold  12  having frame  12   i  and cavity  12   ii  (shown with a cavity shape of a footwear outsole) positioned therein, leather  14  having portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii,  and rubber  16 . Frame  12   i  includes surfaces  30 ,  32 ,  34 ,  36 ,  38 , and  40 . 
         [0025]    Further illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , cavity  12   ii  includes cavity floor portions including toe portion  22  (shown with front toe edge of the cavity floor) with surface  22   a,  tread portions  26  with surfaces  26   a,  and mid-portion  28  with surface  28   a.  Cavity floor portions also include portions shown by dashed line to receive leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii  (e.g. leather pieces with substantially flat surfaces, etc.). Cavity  12   ii  also includes elevated portions including mid-portion  20  with surface  20   a,  and tread portions  24  with surface  24   a.    
         [0026]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii  (e.g. cut from sheets) include surfaces  42 ,  44 , surfaces  46 ,  48 , and surfaces  50 ,  52 , respectively. Rubber  16  (including surfaces  54 ,  56 ,  58 ,  60 ,  62 , and  64 ) can be various types such as pure latex, latex blended with calcium carbonate, latex blended with rice husks, devulcanized recycled waste rubber, thermoplastic, carbon or silica reinforced, etc., and being variously shaped such as rectangular sheet, rectangular bar, collection of pieces, etc. This first method phase of  FIG. 1  shows leather  14  and rubber  16  before being received by cavity  12   ii  of mold  12 . 
         [0027]    A second phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 4  to show leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   ii  being received by cavity  12   i  wherein surfaces  44 ,  48 ,  52  (see  FIG. 1 ) of leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii,  respectively, are in contact with floor portion surfaces of cavity  12   ii.  A third phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 5  as cavity  12   ii  further receiving rubber  16  wherein surface  56  of rubber  16  is in contact with surfaces  42 ,  46 , and  50  of leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii,  respectively.  FIG. 5  further depicts cover  70  having surfaces  72 ,  74 ,  76 ,  78 ,  80 , and  82 . 
         [0028]    A fourth phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 6  as cover  70  is closed upon mold  12  with heat and in some implementations increased pressure (e.g. substantially above, for instance double or triple, atmospheric pressure found at mold location) being applied to allow rubber  16  to conform one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape and to otherwise fill in gaps between and above the leather  14  inside the cavity  12   ii  thereby fusing the rubber  16  to the leather  14  forming a one piece outsole  90  as shown in subsequent figures. Shrinkage or expansion of leather  14  may occur so can be taken under consideration in sizing. In some implementations, temperature in a range of 150 to 170 degrees centigrade may be required for fusing to occur. 
         [0029]    A fifth phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 7  after molding showing outsole  90  including rubber interior surface  92  still in cavity  12   ii  being cooled in an untrimmed state with excess material  91  bordered by dashed line showing outline of cavity  12   ii.    
         [0030]    A sixth phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 8  showing exterior surfaces of untrimmed outsole  90  having exterior surfaces including rubber surfaces  20   b  (rubber mid-portion and ground contact surface portions),  22   b  (rubber front toe portion and ground contact surface portions),  24   b  (rubber tread portion and ground contact surface portions),  26   b  (rubber tread portion and ground contact surface portions), and  28   b  (rubber mid-portion and ground contact surface portions) formed by rubber  16  in a heated state coming into contacted with surfaces  20   a,    22   a,    24   a,    26   a,  and  28   a  and having exterior surfaces including surfaces  44 ,  48 , and  50  of leather portions  14   i,    14   ii,  and  14   iii,  respectively wherein surfaces  44 ,  48 , and  50  are shown as being other than one or more front toe edge surfaces whereas in other implementations, front toe edge surfaces can also be made up of leather surfaces. 
         [0031]    A seventh phase of the associated method is depicted in  FIG. 9  with outsole  90  as trimmed outsole  100  ready for assembly with an insole and a footwear upper to make a footwear with such outsole  90 . 
         [0032]    Trimmed outsole  100  is depicted in  FIG. 10  having an alternative patterned placement of exterior surfaces for leather  14  and rubber  16 . 
       Clarification Language 
       [0033]    While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.” 
         [0034]    With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed in any order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise.