Patent Description:
Various patterns (patterns, images, shapes, etc.) are formed on the outsole, which is one of the components constituting the shoe, to beautifully decorate the exterior. <CIT> (titled "EVA SHOES PLATE HAVING PRINTING LAYER") discloses a technique for attaching a film having a pattern formed therein to the outsole. In addition, <CIT> (titled "INSOLES FOR SHOES DRAFT MANIFESTATION METHOD") discloses a technique for painting a pattern on the outsole.

However, in a case where a film is attached or paint is applied to form a pattern on the outsole as described above, the film or paint may be peeled off as the film or paint is used over time after a user starts wearing shoes.

In addition, in such a case where a film is attached or paint is applied to form a pattern on the outsole, a beautiful pattern is not formed, which may degrade aesthetics from a perspective of the user.

Document <CIT> describes a two-part method for dye-sublimation printing a decorative design on a moldable orthotic substrate comprising a first digital printing step of printing a computer image file of a decorative design on a digital transfer paper substrate using dye-sublimation CMYK inks, and a second dye-sublimation printing step comprising the steps of heating an oven to a first temperature, placing a moldable orthotic substrate inside the oven, heating the moldable orthotic substrate to a second temperature, positioning the digital transfer paper substrate on the moldable orthotic substrate with the decorative design down and in contact with the moldable orthotic substrate, and sublimating the at least one color of dye-sublimation CMYK inks from the digital transfer paper substrate to the moldable orthotic substrate.

Document <CIT> discloses a manufacturing method, wherein a thermally spreading film having a print of face image is applied to a model made of gypsum having a surface of three-dimensional irregular face and a plurality of micro vents, and then the thermally spreading film is applied tightly to the model by performing evacuation from below through the micro vents while heating from above. After the thermally spreading film is hardened by lowering the temperature thereof, the hardened film is removed from the model or the unnecessary peripheral part is cut with the film kept integral with the model, thus making a mask of the face image film which is then attached to the face part of the body of a doll.

The present invention concerns a method of manufacturing an outsole according to claim <NUM>. In particular, the disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a three-dimensional outsole having a pattern with improved quality and durability and a shoe including the outsole, the outsole which is capable of preventing the pattern from being worn off or damaged while improving aesthetics from a perspective of a user.

According to the invention, a three-dimensional outsole having improved pattern quality and durability is obtained, and a pattern which is formed in the outsole in a manner in which dye is permeated into micropores formed in an inner or outer surface of a shoe outsole having a three-dimensional shape and then is fixed therein.

In this case, depth to which the dye penetrating the micropores and then is fixed may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

Further, the dye is permeated into the micropores through vacuum suction.

Further, the dye is digitally printed on a thermoplastic sheet, the thermoplastic sheet on which the dye may be printed is heated to be softened with flexibility, and the softened sheet having flexibility may be closely attached to a surface of the shoe outsole having the three-dimensional shape through vacuum adsorption and then be permeated therein.

According to the claimed invention, a method of manufacturing an outsole of a three-dimensional shape with improved pattern quality and durability is provided. The method includes printing a sheet, softening the sheet, vacuum-suctioning an outsole of the softened sheet, and fixing a pattern on the outsole.

In the three-dimensional outsole having improved pattern quality and durability according to the invention, the pattern of the outsole is formed beautiful in three dimension since dye is permeated into a surface of the outsole and then is fixed therein.

Before describing embodiments according to the present disclosure in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the configurations shown in the following detailed description or the accompanying drawings, and the present disclosure may be used or carried out in various ways.

It should be also noted that expressions or terms used herein are merely used for explanation, but not to limit the present disclosure.

That is, unless otherwise indicated as different meanings, expressions "mounted," "installed," "accessed," "connected," "supported," "coupled", and the like are used as broad expressions including both direct and indirect mounting, installation, access, connection, support, and coupling. Expressions "accessed", "connected", and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical access, connection, or coupling.

In addition, in this specification, terms indicating a direction such as upper, lower, downward, upward, rearward, bottom, front, rear, and the like are used to describe the drawings, but these terms are merely used to indicate a relative direction (when normally viewed) in the drawings for convenience of explanation. Such terms indicating directions should not be interpreted as literally limiting or restricting the present disclosure.

In addition, terms such as "first", "second", "third", and the like used herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as implying relative importance.

<FIG> is a reference view illustrating a configuration of a shoe to which a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applied. A three-dimensional outsole (hereinafter, referred to as "outsole") having a pattern with improved quality and durability according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is applicable to various shoes such as a sports shoe, a hiking shoe and a soccer shoe, but the outsole is most preferably applicable to a soccer shoe <NUM> as shown in <FIG>.

In the case of the soccer shoe <NUM>, studs <NUM> are attached in three dimensions in order to improve athletic performance and safety of a soccer player who is wearing the shoe during a strenuous soccer game. In addition, unlike a general shoe having elasticity, the soccer shoe includes an outsole <NUM> formed of a hard plastic material.

That is, the soccer shoe <NUM> generally includes an upper <NUM>, which is the upper part, and an outsole <NUM>, which is the base as shown in <FIG>.

The upper <NUM> includes a toecap <NUM>, a vamp <NUM>, a lace loop <NUM>, a shoelace <NUM>, a tongue <NUM>, a quarter <NUM>, a topline <NUM>, and a counter.

The toe cap <NUM> is a part that covers the toes, the vamp <NUM> is a part that covers the front of the foot, and the quarter <NUM> is a part that covers the back of the heel while reinforcing the instep.

In addition, the tongue <NUM> is a fastening part when a user is wearing a shoe, which prevents the foot from being rubbed by shoelaces, the top line <NUM> is a part corresponding to the entrance of the shoe, and the counter <NUM> is a part that reinforces the heel part.

The lace loop <NUM> is a hole into which a shoelace <NUM> enters.

The outsole <NUM> is a part where a bottom <NUM> is in contact with the ground. The outsole <NUM> includes studs <NUM> that protrude from the bottom <NUM> of the outsole <NUM> to spike in the ground to increase adhesion with the ground.

The stud <NUM> may be also formed integrally with the outsole <NUM>. Depending on a user's selection, a coupling hole having a screw thread for coupling to the stud <NUM> is provided in the bottom <NUM> of the outsole <NUM> so that the stud <NUM> can be coupled to the outsole <NUM>.

Therefore, as shown in <FIG>, it is difficult to form a pattern on the outsole <NUM> of the soccer shoe because the inner and outer surfaces of the outsole <NUM> have a three-dimensional shape and are formed of a hard plastic material, unlike a general shoe outsole having a flat shape. In addition, even if the pattern is formed with a film or paint, the attached or painted pattern may be peeled off or damaged due to the use environment of a soccer player who vigorously plays a game.

Accordingly, the present disclosure provides an outsole <NUM> having the three-dimensional inner and outer surfaces, formed of a hard plastic material, and capable of maintaining the stylishy appearance with a pattern that is not peeled off or damaged even during strenuous sports, and a shoe <NUM> including the outsole <NUM>.

<FIG> is a reference view illustrating a state in which a pattern <NUM> with improved quality and durability is formed in the outsole <NUM> having a three-dimensional shape according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in <FIG>, dye <NUM> is permeated into pores <NUM> on a surface of the outsole <NUM> having the three-dimensional shape and then is fixed to form a pattern integrally with the outsole <NUM>.

That is, the dye <NUM> is permeated into the surface of the outsole <NUM> through micropores on the surface of the outsole <NUM> and then is fixed therein to form a pattern.

Therefore, in the shoe <NUM> according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, even if the surface of the outsole <NUM> is worn out, the pattern may be maintained beautifully because the dye <NUM> is permeated into the surface of the outsole <NUM> and then is fixed thereto.

In this case, a depth h to which the dye <NUM> is permeated into the inside of the outsole <NUM> through the micropores on the surface of the outsole <NUM> is preferably <NUM> to <NUM> from the surface of the outsole <NUM>.

This is because, when the depth is less than <NUM>, the pattern or color may be partially damaged as the surface of the outsole <NUM> is worn out, or the color desired by the user may not appear due to the low penetration depth. In addition, when the penetration depth of the dye is <NUM> or more, a high pressure or temperature is required for the dye to be permeated by <NUM> or more, and this may cause reduction of product productivity and deterioration of the quality of the outsole <NUM> formed of hard plastic.

In addition, the outsole <NUM> according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure is formed of a transparent or translucent material, and the micropores <NUM> three-dimensionally interconnected are formed in the surface of the transparent or translucent outsole <NUM>.

Accordingly, the dye <NUM> is permeated into and is fixed to the micropores <NUM> three-dimensionally interconnected to form a pattern. Therefore, the pattern <NUM> formed in the outsole <NUM> according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has beautiful color in three dimensions and presents the beautiful color when viewed in any direction.

In addition, as the dye <NUM> fixed to the three-dimensionally interconnected micropores <NUM> is fixed like a binder, the fixation of the dye <NUM> is further enhanced.

Hereinafter, a process of manufacturing the outsole <NUM> in which a pattern <NUM> having a beautiful color and improved durability is formed will be described with reference to <FIG>.

That is, <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating a process of forming a pattern with improved quality and durability in an outsole having a three-dimensional shape according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and the process largely includes printing a sheet in operation S <NUM>, softening the sheet in operation S200, vacuum-suctioning an outsole of the softened sheet in operation S300, and fixing a pattern on the outsole in operation S400.

According to a user's selection, pre-heating a vacuum suction device (not shown) may be further included before the operation S200 of softening the sheet among the operation S100 of printing a sheet in, the operation S200 of softening the sheet, the operation S300 of vacuum-suctioning an outsole of the softened sheet, and the operation S400 of fixing a pattern on the outsole.

The operation S100 of printing a sheet includes painting, using a dye, a pattern <NUM> on the outsole <NUM> on a sheet formed of a thermoplastic resin in a thin plate shape. The printing of the pattern using the dye may be implemented in various ways including digital-printing.

Next, the operation S200 of softening the sheet is included. In the operation S200 of softening the sheet, a pattern-painted sheet is placed on the outsole <NUM> formed of a transparent or translucent material ad is then softened using a heating device.

The reason for softening the sheet is that since the outsole <NUM> has a three-dimensional shape, the sheet must be softened so that the sheet can have flexibility and can be attached to the surface of the outsole <NUM> having a three-dimensional shape in close contact to match the shape of the outsole <NUM>.

Next, the operation S300 of vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet includes attaching the softened sheet in close contact with the surface of the outsole <NUM> surface to match the same using a vacuum suction device.

In the operation S300 of vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet, the surface of the softened sheet surface and the surface of the outsole <NUM> surface are closely attached through vacuum to the softened sheet and the outsole <NUM> which are placed in a closed space.

In this case, depending on the user's selection, the operation S300 of vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet may be divided into operation S300 of primarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet and operation S300 of secondarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet.

That is, the operation S300 of primarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet includes slowly attaching the softened sheet to the surface of the outsole <NUM> with a low vacuum pressure to completely attach the softened sheet to the surface of the outsole <NUM> and completely removing air from a vacuum chamber.

Next, in the operation S300 of secondarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet, when the inside of the vacuum chamber is in a complete vacuum state, the dye <NUM> is permeated through a high vacuum pressure into the micropores inside the surface of the outsole <NUM> to a depth of <NUM> to <NUM>.

Next, in the operation S400 of fixing a pattern on the outsole, the dye <NUM> is fixed to the micropores <NUM> at a high temperature after the dye <NUM> is permeated by <NUM> to <NUM> into the micropores <NUM> on the surface of the outsole <NUM> through the high vacuum pressure as described above.

In operation S400 of fixing the pattern on the outsole, a user may optionally include a thermal convection step or a dye drain step for fixing the dye <NUM> at a constant depth on the entire surface of the outsole <NUM>.

The process of manufacturing the pattern <NUM> of the outsole <NUM> according to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure improves the effect of forming the pattern <NUM> through the above-described process and forms the beautiful and three-dimensional pattern <NUM>.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, various changes, modifications and equivalents may be used in the present disclosure. Therefore, all changes and modifications that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A method of manufacturing an outsole of a three-dimensional shape with improved pattern quality and durability, the method comprising:
an operation (S100) of printing a pattern on a sheet formed of a thermoplastic resin using a dye,
an operation (S200) of placing the sheet on the outsole and softening the sheet using a heating device,
an operation (S300) of vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet, which includes primarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet and secondarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet, and
an operation (S400) of fixing a pattern on the outsole at a high temperature with the dye permeated to the micropores on the surface of the outsole,
wherein the operation (S300) of primarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet includes slowly attaching the softened sheet to the surface of the outsole with a low vacuum pressure, and in the operation (S300) of secondarily vacuum-suctioning the outsole of the softened sheet the dye is permeated into the micropores inside the surface of the outsole with a high vacuum pressure.