EP3291698B1

EP3291698B1 - Stuffing device for footwear

Info

Publication number: EP3291698B1
Application number: EP15728129.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gábor ÉLÖ; Zoltán RAY
Original assignee: Eloe Gabor; Ray Zoltan
Current assignee: Eloe Gabor; Ray Zoltan
Priority date: 2015-05-06
Filing date: 2015-05-06
Publication date: 2019-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-06
Also published as: WO2016178038A1; HUE045342T2; EP3291698A1

Description

The invention relates to a stuffing device for footwear which is suitable for inserting into and removing from the footwear, and which comprises a gas-tight elastic part which is inflatable by means of an inflating medium, preferably air, furthermore comprises an inlet opening which is, preferably, provided with a check valve for the input of the inflating medium, and in its inflated state comprises an upper part following at least partially the form of the upper of the footwear, as well as, a sole part following at least partially the form of the sole of the footwear, and, the upper part and the sole part are connected to one another in a gas-tight manner.
When not worn, footwears, such as shoes, boots, e.t.c., are often stuffed with different materials or devices to maintain the shape of the footwear. It is known different stuffing devices for footwears, such as the stuffing of shoes with paper, as well as, the traditional shoe trees which can be used for different footwears, shoes and boots. The disadvantage of the traditional shoe trees is that these are stiff and can not follow entirely the shape of the footwear. There are some attempts for creating different inflatable, pneumatic stuffings for footwears which can follow the form of the footwear. Such a pneumatic stuffing device is presented by the patent specification No. US 1,160,631 where the position of the sole part and the upper part of the stuffing device is to be fixed by a separate metal tool which complicates the use of the stuffing device, and the manufacture of the device is expensive.
Another pneumatic stuffing device is presented in the patent specification No. US 5,341,532 which is relatively simple, however, has some disadvantages. In the inflated state it tries to take on the shape of a balloon that means also its sole part will bend which will cause the bending of the shoe, too. The fact that the sole part and the upper part is made of the same, relatively soft, synthetic material, has a further disadvantage, namely, a soft device is difficult to be inserted into or removed from the footwear. For this reason it is recommended to inflate the device partly before inserting into the footwear, and after insertion it must be inflated further which complicates its use. Furthermore, this solution does not offer any possibility for an extra stretching of the footwear at the sites of the abnormalities of the foot.
In the patent specification No. DE 3805721 a process is presented for stretching the shoe by means of an inflatable stuffing device. In this specification is neither mentioned any difference between the sole part and the upper part of the device. However, this solution offers possibilities for an extra stretching of the footwear at the sites of the abnormalities of the foot, for example in such a manner that the footwear, here ski boot, is softened at its proper sites by means of a chemical softening material or by a thermoplastic method. This solution is complicated, and can be used for plastic ski boots, only, but not for shoes for everyday use, because this method distroys the shoe material.
Another device for stretching shoes is disclosed by patent specification FR 844801 , wherein a rigid sole element is added to the inflatable structure.
As it appears, the known stuffing devices are complicated, may be used only with difficulty, and do not meet the expectations entirely, thus, these devices have not come into general use.
The aim of our invention is providing a solution which is widely applicable, where by means of a suitable inflatable pneumatic device the stuffing of the footwears, as well as, the stretching of the footwear at its certain sites can be carried out relatively simply, easily, comfortably and very well, and at the same time, the device can be produced relatively simply and at low cost.
Accordingly, our invention is a stuffing device for footwear which is suitable for inserting into and removing from the footwear, and which comprises a gas-tight elastic part which is inflatable by means of an inflating medium, preferably air, furthermore comprises an inlet opening, which is preferably, provided with a check valve for the input of the inflating medium, and in its inflated state comprises an upper part following at least partially the form of the upper of the footwear, as well as, a sole part following at least partially the form of the sole of the footwear, and, the upper part and the sole part are connected to one another in a gas-tight manner, where said sole part or at least a part of said sole part comprises a sandwich structure wherein a stiffening part made of a rigid material is placed in a fixed position between a gas-tight first layer made of an elastic material and a third layer made of an elastic material. All kinds of valves can be used in the device as said preferred check valve which valve does not allow the inflated medium to flow back by itself, but with a little outer intervention it can be moved into a position that the medium, when necessary, can flow out from the device.
In a preferred embodiment, grooves are formed in the stiffening part, essentially perpendicularly to the length of the stiffening part, where along the grooves the thickness of the rigid material is deminished. The stiffening part is produced in a manner, that beyond its stiffness it will be slightly flexible along the grooves, thus, the device can be optimally adjusted to different footwear soles.
In another preferred embodiment, the stiffening part is made of polyamide or polyethylene, preferably by means of injection molding.
In a further preferred embodiment, the upper part, as well as the first layer and the third layer of the sole part are made of the same elastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, or a similar material, preferably by means of injection molding.
For placing the stiffening part in the sole part in a fixed position, in view of the manufacture and the use, it is particularly preferred that the material of the first layer is continuous with the material of the third layer, in such a manner, that the stiffening part is surrounded, preferably by means of injection molding, by the elastic material of the first and third layers of the sole part.
In a further preferred embodiment, at least one through hole is formed in the stiffening part, where the inside of the through hole is filled with connecting part connecting the first layer to the third layer, said connecting part is made of the material of the first and third layers with material continuity. An advantage of this embodiment is that the connecting part, which fills the through hole, fastens the stiffening part, furthermore another advantage is for injection molding that the elastic material can flow easily in the mold from one to the other side of the stiffening part, and the elastic material can.surround the stiffening part completely.
In a further preferred embodiment, spacers are formed on the stiffening part which are protruding from it, and the sides of the spacers are surrounded by the third layer. At injection molding said spacers abut against the injection mold, and around themselves can ensure the easy creation of the third layer of the sole part, and the thickness of the third layer will be defined by the height of the spacers abuting against the injection mold.
In a further preferred embodiment, the upper part and the flange of the sole part are glued or welded together.
To achieve a longer life of the device, in a preferred embodiment, the material of the upper part is thicker in the vicinity of the inlet opening than farther from it.
At the use of the device, during its inflation, the user may set the pressure by perception, only, or the pressure can be monitored by a manometer during the inflating. In a preferred embodiment, for controlling the extent of the inflation of the stuffing device at least two markers are placed on the upper part, preferably in the vicinity of the entering orifice of the footwear, for example by means of material thickening or painting. The distance between these markers will increase during the inflating, and for the user, the advantegous distance between the markers, when inflated the device properly, can be specified empirically. Having reached the specified distance the user will know that the inflating of the device can be stopped.
It may occur that also local dilatations are to be made in the footwear by means of the device because of abnormalities of the foot, such as deformations, wounds, e.t.c.. For such a reason the device comprises at least one adapter fixed on the outer, footwear side surface of the upper part or, occasionally, of the sole part. The shape and size of the adapter should be formed according to user's need, and the adapter can be glued on the device at the location of the abnormality of the foot.
In a preferred embodiment, the adapter, for its formability, is made of elastic material, preferably polyvinylchloride. Such an adapter may have a conical form with a rounded tip, or other forms, which the user can affix by means of glue on the proper place, or the adapter may have a form of a rod with a semi-circular cross-section, e.t.c., which can be cut and/or carved to the necessary form and size, and then affixed on the proper place of the device. A device provided with such adapters, in its inflated state, will stretch and widen the footwear where needed.
By means of the inflatable stuffing device for footwear according to the invention, compared to the state of the art, the forming by stuffing and the local stretching of the footwears can be performed easier, simplier and with a better result, than earlier, and the device can be produced relatively simply and cheaply. The sole part which is produced differently than the upper part ensures with its stiffening part that the sole part will not bend due to the inflation, but it will remain relatively flat, as the sole of the footwear. The device according to the invention can be inflated by means of a simple pump, such as a bycicle pump, through e.g. a check valve, and the upper part will take the shape as the upper of the footwear, while the sole part will follow the shape of the sole of the footwear.
The invention will be described in detail with specific embodiments, by means of accompanying drawings.

Figure1: A preferred embodiment of the stuffing device for footwear according to the invention, in a perspective view
Figure 2: The stuffing device for footwear in its partly inflated state, according to Figure 1, in a sectional side view, intersected in the middle of the device in its longitudinal direction
Figure 3: The stuffing device for footwear according to Figure 1, in a sectional top view, intersected in the A-A plane of Figure 2

The device according to preferred embodiments, presented by means of Figures 1, 2 and 3, comprises a sole part 1, and an upper part 2 which is welded around in a gas-tight manner to the flange 9 of the sole part 1, furthermore, comprises an inlet opening 4 for the input of the inflating medium, in our example air, which inlet opening 4 is placed in the vicinity of the foot entering orifice of the footwear. In its inflated state of the device the upper part 2 follows the upper part of the front part of the footwear, and has a closing side wall 7 where the inlet opening 4 is placed. The device can be put into the footwear easily even without any prior inflation action, and in its deflated state it can be taken out easily from the footwear because the central, major part of the sole part 1 has a sandwich structure wherein a stiffening part 3 made of a rigid polyethylene material, by means of injection molding, is placed in a fixed position between a gas-tight first layer 13 made of a PVC (polyvinylchloride) material and a third layer 14 made of a PVC material wherein the stiffening part 3 ensures that the device will not crumpled up in the footwear, thus, the inserting and the removing is simple, furthermore, the device can follow the form of the sole of the footwear. The device is inflatable by means of a gas or liquid medium, but the most simple solution is the inflation by air by means of a hand pump. The device in its inflated state follows partly the shape of the footwear, such as shoe, in our case, follows the shape of the whole socalled instep portion, that means, the device will fill the space in the footwear before the ankle. Into the inlet opening 4 a check valve 5, a known Schrader valve, is inserted which does not allow the flowing back of the supplied air, but, when removing the device, the air can be released through the valve 5 by means of a simple push pin. The valve 5 is shown in Figure 1, in Figure 2 the inlet opening 4 is shown with the axis, only, of the valve 5. The construction of the sole part 1 is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The section A-A in Figure 3 is made by a plane between the stiffening part 3 and the third layer 14, where the section plane cuts the spacers 16 protruding from the stiffening part 3. Not all, but some of the spacers 16 are numbered in Figure 3. Furthermore, the section plane cuts the connecting parts 8, the upper part 2, the connecting rim 15, and the elastic material of the grooves 6. Narrow grooves 6, in our case five grooves, are formed in the stiffening part 3, essentially perpendicularly to the length of the stiffening part 3, and along the grooves 6 the rigid material is thinner. For example, the thickness of the stiffening part 3 is about 1-3 mm, advantageously 2 mm, while at the grooves 6, it is about 0.5-1 mm, advantageously 0.75 mm. The width of the grooves 6 is 1-4 mm, advantageously 2.5 mm. On one side of the stiffening part 3, and protruding from it, and placed roughly uniformly thereon, some spacers 16 are formed which are produced together with the stiffening part 3 by means of injection molding. The stiffening part 3 is surrounded, by means of injection molding, by PVC material of the first and third layers 13, 14 of the sole part 1, thus, the stiffening part 3 is surrounded from all directions by a connecting rim 15, and the spacers 16 belonging to the stiffening part 3 are surrounded by the third layer 14. Through holes, in our case seven through holes, are formed in the middle part of the stiffening part 3, where the inside of the through holes are filled with the connecting part 8 connecting the first layer 13 to the third layer 14, said connecting part 8 is made of the material of the first and third layers 13, 14 with material continuity. Thus, the fixing of the stiffening part 3 is ensured by the connecting rim 15 and the connecting parts 8. The grooves 6 are also filled with the elastic, injection molded PVC material, thus, the movement of the stiffening part 3 along the grooves 6 is slightly, but only to the extent necessary, possible, since the elastic material can slightly move out from the grooves 6.
The PVC material of the upper part 2 is welded together with the PVC material of the first layer 13 of the sole part 1, at its flange 9. The width of the flange 9 is about 3-20 mm, the average width is about 15 mm. The thickness of the upper part 2 and that of the first layer 13 of the sole part 1 is about 1-2 mm, advantageously 1.2 mm, but in the vicinity of the inlet opening 4 the thickness is greater, e.g. the double. The thickness of the discontinuous third layer 14 is about 0.2-1 mm, advantageously 0.5 mm.
In Figures 1 and 2 an accessory to the device can be seen which is an adapter 10, the shape and size of which can be formed according to the user's need, and is fixed by means of glue on the outer, footwear side of the upper part 2. The adapter is made of PVC material which can be formed also by the user, e.g. by knife.
The user inserts the device above into the instep portion of the footwear, preferably in its deflated state, then at the foot entering orifice the user connects with a pump to the valve 5, and inflates the device, which will take on the form according to Figure 1 and 2, and fills tightly the space in the footwear, at its instep portion, thus, the wrinkles of the footwear become smoother. By means of a device the size of which was chosen suitably, and if the device is inflated in a proper extent, the footwear can also be stretched and extended. The adapter 10 ensures that the footwear will further extend at the places which are pressed by the adapter 10.
The device can be inflated by a simple pump, for example also by a bycicle pump to a proper overpressure, for example about 0.6 bar. Depending on the quality and thickness of the elastic material of the device, and on the footwear, the overpressure can be different. In our case, on the inflatable elastic upper part 2, preferably in the vicinity of the entering orifice of the footwear, two markers 11, 12 are placed by means of material thickening, and the distance between the markers 11, 12 will increase during the inflating of the device, and for the user, the proper overpressure by means of the distance between the markers can be specified empirically. After use, the device can be removed, preferably in such a manner, that the valve 5 is to be pressed by means of a small push pin, and the device will release the air, and it can be removed easily from the footwear.

Claims

Stuffing device for footwear which is suitable for inserting into and removing from the footwear, and which comprises a gas-tight elastic part which is inflatable by means of an inflating medium, preferably air, furthermore comprises an inlet opening which is preferably provided with a check valve for the input of the inflating medium, and in its inflated state comprises an upper part following at least partially the form of the upper of the footwear, as well as, a sole part following at least partially the form of the sole of the footwear, and, the upper part and the sole part are connected to one another in a gas-tight manner, characterized in that said sole part (1) or at least a part of said sole part (1) comprises a sandwich structure wherein a stiffening part (3) made of a rigid material is placed in a fixed position between a gas-tight first layer (13) made of an elastic material and a third layer (14) made of an elastic material.
Stuffing device according to claim 1, characterized in that grooves (6) are formed in the stiffening part (3) essentially perpendicularly to the length of the stiffening part (3).
Stuffing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stiffening part (3) is made of polyamide or polyethylene, preferably by means of injection molding.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the upper part (2), as well as the first layer (13) and the third layer (14) of the sole part (1) are made of the same elastic material, such as polyvinylchloride, or a similar material, preferably by means of injection molding.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the material of the first layer (13) is continuous with the material of the third layer (14) in such a manner that the stiffening part (3) is surrounded, preferably by means of injection molding, by the elastic material of the first and third layers (13 and 14) of the sole part (1).
Stuffing device according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one through hole is formed in the stiffening part (3), where the inside of the through hole is filled with connecting part (8) connecting the first layer (13) to the third layer (14), said connecting part (8) is made of the material of the first and third layers (13 and 14) with material continuity.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-6, characterized in that spacers (16) are formed on the stiffening part (3) which are protruding from it, and the sides of the spacers (16) are surrounded by the third layer (14).
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that the upper part (2) and the flange (9) of the sole part (1) are glued or welded together.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that the material of the upper part (2) is thicker in the vicinity of the inlet opening (4) than farther from it.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-9, characterized in that for controlling the extent of the inflation of the stuffing device at least two markers (11, 12) are placed on the upper part (2), preferably in the vicinity of the foot entering orifice of the footwear, for example by means of material thickening or painting.
Stuffing device according to any of claims 1-10, characterized in that it comprises at least one adapter fixed on the outer, footwear side surface of the upper part (2) or the sole part (1).
Stuffing device according to claim 11, characterized in that the adapter (10), for its formability, is made of elastic material, preferably polyvinylchloride.