| Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Waterproof and breathable sole for shoesWaterproof and breathable sole for shoes description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20050252035, Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to an improved waterproof and breathable sole for shoes. BACKGROUND ART [0002] Plastic waterproof and breathable soles for shoes are already known. [0003] One of these soles is disclosed in Italian patent no. 1,282,196 by the same Applicant. [0004] In this case, the sole comprises: [0005] a mid-sole with a membrane made of a material that is impermeable to water and permeable to water vapor, associated with a lower protective layer made of a material that is resistant to hydrolysis, water-repellent, breathable and/or perforated; [0006] a tread made of perforated elastomer that is joined perimetrically and hermetically to the mid-sole. [0007] A waterproof and breathable sole disclosed in WO 98/51177 by the same Applicant is also known; it comprises a preassembled insert in which there is a membrane that is impermeable to water and permeable to water vapor, associated with a lower protective layer made of a material that is resistant to hydrolysis, water-repellent, breathable and/or perforated. [0008] The insert is completed by an element that is overmolded or assembled in place and surrounds the membrane and the protective layer and is joined hermetically to them. [0009] The insert is part of a mid-sole and is joined together with said mid-sole to a tread made of perforated plastic, which is overmolded or assembled in place. [0010] In both cases, the protective layer arranged below the membrane is meant to protect said membrane against piercing due to foreign objects accidentally passing through the holes. [0011] The protective layer is normally made of felt and is coupled to the membrane in a breathable manner (by means of spots of thermoplastic adhesive which has for example a polyurethane base), to allow the passage of the vapor from the inside of the shoe toward the outside through the holes provided in the tread. [0012] Although the soles described above have been commercially available for years now and are unanimously acknowledged to be capable of ensuring a correct exchange of heat and water vapor between the microclimate inside the shoe and the external microclimate, they have been found to have drawbacks, including in particular the tendency for the membrane to tear due to the different traction elasticity modulus with respect to the tread, with which it is monolithically assembled peripherally. [0013] The membrane is in fact normally made of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, which is a scarcely elastic material, while the tread by its very nature and due to its operating requirements must be very elastic and flexible. [0014] Accordingly, the membrane is unable to absorb the flexural stresses that produce an elastic elongation of the polymer, of which the elastomeric tread is made (PVC, TR, polyurethane, rubber, et cetera), in movements, during use and accordingly tends to tear because its elasticity modulus is exceeded, and loses its waterproofness. [0015] The protective element below the membrane, which is normally made of polyester felt, has been found unable, on its own, to absorb the tensions induced by the deformations of the sole. [0016] In order to reduce the elongation, the structure disclosed in WO 02/32246 A1 has been adopted; this patent describes the use of composite materials with a high ultimate tensile strain and low elongation, but the insertion of said materials is expensive and also causes a general stiffening of the shoe. [0017] Furthermore, the problem of the breakage of the membrane is not solved permanently, because of the reversibility of the phenomenon of thermoplasticity of the polyurethane adhesive used to laminate the membrane with the felt layer: the melting point of said adhesive (for example 65.degree. C.) is in fact lower than the temperature (for example 180.degree. C.) at which the polymer that constitutes the tread and must form a peripheral seal on the membrane is injected into the mold. [0018] Temperatures higher than the melting point of the polyurethane adhesive can be reached both during the normal production of the shoe and during use of the shoe (for example when walking on hot tarmac during the summer period). [0019] By reaching temperatures higher than the melting point, the thermoplastic adhesive is reactivated and the viscosity is reduced considerably (it is known that viscosity is a function of temperature), allowing complete absorption of said adhesive by the felt. [0020] This means that once the assembly cools, there is no longer enough adhesive to allow adequate coupling of the membrane to the felt layer. [0021] All the stress to which the sole is subjected during use is therefore transmitted to the membrane, which tears due to the problems described above. [0022] This problem is entirely new in soles with respect to other uses for which a membrane that is impermeable to water and permeable to vapor is used. Continue reading about Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes... Full patent description for Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Device and method for compacting a fiber composite Next Patent Application: Convertible sandal Industry Class: Boots, shoes, and leggings ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Waterproof and breathable sole for shoes patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.12077 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , pbckp |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
