Improvements and related manufacturing methods for anchoring anti-slip components to shoe soles equipped with retractable anti-slip devices.

Abstract

An improved anti-slip device for shoe soles includes anti-slip or anti-slip devices, such as studs or hooks, which are not directly fixed to the sole but are fixed to rigid or semi-rigid devices that can be folded into grooves formed in the sole itself. Each anti-slip member (10) and its member (24) fixed to the sole and having its own locking device (25) are non-removably connected to each other by a joint (14) having a double-headed steel pin (15) having a protruding end forming a rotation axis about which the anti-slip member (10) can rotate 180°. The joint has protruding attachments (16) on opposite sides having eyelets (18) and forming a 90° rotation center of the axis (26) of the member (24) anchored to the sole, which is perpendicular to the steel pin (15), so that the anchoring member (24) cannot be separated from the anti-slip member (10). Molded from a suitable plastic material, the joint (14) is combined by overmolding with another plastic material with a different melting point, so as to obtain a single component together with the anchoring member (24) and the anti-slip member (10), thereby avoiding any accidental separation of the components, but maintaining the degrees of freedom of movement of the different parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an improvement of an anti-slip device for shoe soles and a related manufacturing method thereof, wherein an anti-slip or anti-slip device, such as a stud or hook, is provided, which is not directly fixed to the sole, but fixed to a rigid or semi-rigid device that can be folded into a groove obtained in the sole itself.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement and a related manufacturing method for anchoring a support member of an anti-slip device to the sole of a shoe, which, for the sake of brevity, will be referred to below as an anti-slip member, and can be used in several scenarios described in the background section. Background Technology

[0003] In the anti-slip device disclosed in Italian Patent 102017000024298, the anti-slip device is fixed to a reversible rigid or semi-rigid member, preferably made of a semi-rigid plastic material, capable of transitioning from a first groove or recess obtained on the sole to a second groove mirror-symmetrical to the previous groove, wherein a hook is accommodated in a suitable cavity obtained at the bottom of the groove, the groove accommodating the rigid member, and wherein the flipping / lifting of the support member (rod, arch, or even more complex shape) occurs about an axis coplanar with the sole, by means of a pin protruding from the opposite side of the lower end of the member, the pin snapping fastened to a corresponding rotatable seat obtained in a cubic shape, the rotatable seat being provided with a mushroom-shaped pin, the mushroom-shaped pin being fixed in a special cavity obtained on the side sole of the groove accommodating the support member of the anti-slip device.

[0004] Or, regarding the anti-slip device disclosed in the same applicant's patent EP1558103, the anti-slip device is fixed to a rigid or semi-rigid support member that is hinged to the sole like a flag so that it can be raised and lowered relative to the sole and can rotate at least 180° relative to the axis of symmetry of the support member, which is different from and not parallel to the hinge / lifting axis relative to the sole, so that a single groove can be used to retract the surface with the hook when the hook does not need to be in contact with the ground.

[0005] In both cases, the hinge / rotating seat of the anti-slip component is not integrally obtained with the component itself, but is obtained on an auxiliary component (in this case, in the form of a parallelepiped or cube) which acts as a foot anchored to the sole by means of a mushroom-shaped component that snaps into a corresponding seat arranged to be molded in the sole, near a groove that accommodates the flip-up support component after it has been flipped, without compromising the integrity of the sole itself and preventing simple torsion of the bottom from causing the sole to disintegrate and wear.

[0006] However, it has been emphasized that any replacement due to accidental breakage, wear, or abrasion, or wear caused by continuous and prolonged use of the reversible anti-slip component, is quite inconvenient, as the traction force required to pull the reversible component out of its mounting often leaves the mushroom-shaped piece and cube anchored to the sole. This is because, when interference on the sole forces the anti-slip component to be elastically pulled out, the greatest stress occurs precisely at the rotating seat of the reversible anti-slip component, which is in the form of a cube and is not integral with the body of the same reversible component but can be easily detached from it, while the rotating seat remains anchored to the sole.

[0007] This obviously leads to longer replacement time, as the cube also needs to be manually removed from the housing of the support component in the sole.

[0008] It is also emphasized that in the previous technical solution, a joint was used, which formed a rotation and / or flip support for the anti-slip member. The joint was provided with a double-ended pin made of steel to allow the anti-slip member to rotate 180°, and another protruding pin made of steel was provided perpendicular to the double-ended pin, which instead formed a 90° rotation axis of the same anti-slip member. Therefore, after the entire system was completed, a mushroom-shaped connector was inserted through the joint using a special machine.

[0009] However, this technical solution is complex and significantly increases production time and costs. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The first objective of this invention is to overcome all the disadvantages of the prior art described above, and to provide a component for anchoring an anti-slip member to the sole of a shoe, the component being:

[0011] It forms a single unit with a component such as a mushroom-shaped member, which allows the member to be secured to the sole itself; and

[0012] It is non-removably connected to a rigid or semi-rigid material component that forms a rotation and / or flip support for the anti-slip component. For this purpose, an innovative joint is configured to form a single body with the anti-slip component, avoiding any possible splitting of the component.

[0013] Another objective of this invention is to overcome all the disadvantages of the prior art described above, and to provide a connection between the rigid or semi-rigid material component that is obtained during molding to be anchored to the sole and the rotating and / or flipping support that forms the anti-slip component, and to introduce a suitable innovative joint by overmolding with the same material as the material from which the component is obtained, which allows molding of a single body, keeping the different parts free to move, but avoiding accidental separation of components.

[0014] Therefore, even when the traction required to pull the sole out is applied to the sole, the component anchored to the sole cannot be removed from the anti-slip component.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is achieved by providing a joint molded from plastic material, the joint having a first steel pin projecting upwards along its axis of symmetry to form a rotation axis. The anti-slip member is capable of rotating 180° about this rotation axis to flip, switching from a rest position to a working position. Below the joint is a perforated attachment forming a base for shaping the component to be anchored to the sole relative to the rotation axis during subsequent overmolding. The joint is capable of rotating 90° about this rotation axis relative to the anchoring plane, and this rotation axis is perpendicular to the aforementioned 180° first rotation axis, allowing the anti-slip member to travel sufficient angular travel to rise from the receiving impression to allow for complete flipping. With this configuration, once molded, the joint is reloaded onto a mold unique to the entire structure and simultaneously includes the shapes of both the anti-slip member and the component with the sole anchoring device, thereby positioning the joint between the shapes of the anti-slip member and the anchoring member.

[0016] According to a unique feature of the invention, a plastic material is used for subsequent molding of the entire structure, and this plastic material has a different melting point than the material used to make the joint.

[0017] By molding two components and simultaneously covering the molded joint, a single structure is obtained. This structure includes a support member for the anti-slip device, the aforementioned joint, and a member equipped with one or more fastening devices for positioning and anchoring the component to the sole. Therefore, the entire structure allows for the raising and lowering of the anti-slip device relative to the member in the receiving impression obtained by anchoring the anti-slip device to the sole, and for rotating the same anti-slip device 180° relative to the same anchoring member so that the anti-slip device can be flipped when intending to switch from a working position to a resting position, and vice versa. This avoids any accidental release. This is because, as described below, the two different materials used to make the components, such as TPU and nylon, are not bonded to each other in any way, allowing the components to be connected by overmolding via steel pins protruding from the joint embedded in the anti-slip device. This is achieved by forming a horizontal axis perpendicular to the previous horizontal axis connecting the component anchored to the sole to the same joint; however, because there is no bonding between the two materials forming the component, the components can rotate freely relative to each other.

[0018] It should be noted that the materials used to make the joints and the components anchored to the sole are nylon and TPU, and are shown herein as preferred exemplary embodiments. However, this choice is not limiting, as it would be sufficient to use suitable plastic materials with different melting points that do not bond together during overmolding.

[0019] The use of the aforementioned connector and the subsequent overmolding enable:

[0020] This avoids the need to load steel pins during the molding of traditional joints, which is replaced by pins obtained in the overmolding step, integrated with the components anchored to the sole, while reducing production time and costs.

[0021] Since the entire structure of the finished flip-up component with the connecting device is obtained by overmolding the connector with another plastic material with a different melting point (in this example, nylon and thermoplastic polyurethane TPU), the separate molding of the mushroom-shaped connector is eliminated.

[0022] Then, after the system is completed, the assembly of the mushroom-shaped connectors is eliminated; and

[0023] To prevent the mushroom-shaped connector from accidentally detaching from the steel pin.

[0024] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention by way of non-limiting example only, wherein two mushroom-shaped members are present, which are anchored to the sole of the shoe. Attached Figure Description

[0025] In the attached diagram, Figures 1 to 5D Involving systems in use according to existing technology:

[0026] Figure 1 A first anti-slip component of a known type is shown, wherein there is a joint that is connected to the sole of the shoe by two separately molded mushroom-shaped pieces;

[0027] Figure 2 It shows the use of and Figure 1 Two mushroom-shaped pieces, assembled manually with the same connector, will be anchored to the sole of the shoe when in the working position;

[0028] Figure 3 and Figure 4 The steps shown are to remove the anti-slip component from its mounting bracket on the sole by traction, highlighting a defect often found in practice where one of the mushroom-shaped components is not integrated with the rest of the structure and remains anchored to the sole, thus prolonging replacement time.

[0029] Figure 5A This is an exploded view of the different components of the joint that form another updated anti-slip component, showing the complex and laborious assembly required for its various parts, including a nylon joint with a double-headed pin that rotates 180°, a steel pin that is inserted and rotates 90°, and so on. Figure 5B The TPU arched part shown is overmolded. Figure 5BA side view of the anti-slip component with the hooks facing upwards is shown;

[0030] Figure 5C The installation is shown Figure 5D A perspective view of the same anti-slip component preceding the mushroom-shaped connector shown, and

[0031] Figure 5D Finally, a side view of the anti-slip component with the hook connector facing down is shown after the mushroom-shaped connector has been manually assembled;

[0032] Figure 6A This is a view of the components forming the joint according to the invention, wherein the joint is provided with an attachment having an eyelet on one side, while a portion of the double-headed pin protrudes on the opposite side for 180° rotation of the anti-slip member.

[0033] Figure 6B This is a partial cross-sectional view of the entire structure or composite according to the invention, which is molded by overmolding with a plastic material whose melting point differs from that of the material used to manufacture the joint. Figure 6A The mushroom-shaped connector is obtained by the joint in the middle, wherein the mushroom-shaped connector is made directly from the same material as the material used to manufacture the 90° rotating pin of the anti-slip component when molding the entire composite;

[0034] Figure 6C Is with Figure 6B A perspective view of the same structure or complex, having anti-slip components, joints, and anchoring components, is provided only as a non-limiting example, the anchoring component being provided with a single mushroom-shaped connector;

[0035] Figure 6D yes Figure 6C Side view of the composite structure, with the hooks of the anti-slip component facing downwards;

[0036] Figure 7 and Figure 8 This demonstrates how to easily remove the anti-slip member according to the invention using a hook with simple traction, which allows the anti-slip member to be completely pulled out from its mounting base along with one or more fixed mushroom-shaped objects, as they are integral parts of a single structure;

[0037] Figure 9 and Figure 10 The following are illustrated in different embodiments: a composite consisting of the anti-slip component, joint, and anchoring component shown in FIG6, which is positioned in the shell embossing in the sole and rotated relative to the component that connects the composite to the sole once lifted from the same embossing, the composite being obtained as a single piece after overmolding;

[0038] The accompanying drawings illustrate different steps in the method of manufacturing the anti-slip component of the present invention; depending on the mold used, these steps can obviously take completely different forms. In particular:

[0039] Figure 11 A top plan view of a multi-embossing die for molding nylon joints is shown, in which a double-headed steel pin is manually loaded for 180° rotation before molding the nylon joints.

[0040] Figure 12 The diagram shows a nylon connector including a steel pin, which... Figure 11 Exit from the mold;

[0041] Figure 13 The image shows the reloading of a pin-equipped nylon connector onto a simple, circular, multi-embossed mold before the TPU overmolding of the entire anti-slip system.

[0042] Figure 14 This demonstrates that once the structural coating made of TPU is molded onto the nylon joint, the entire anti-slip system with the joint is complete;

[0043] Figure 15A and Figure 15B The following are respectively shown by Figure 14 Vertical cross-sectional plan view and horizontal cross-sectional front view of the structure or compound composed of anti-slip components, joints and anchoring components. Detailed Implementation

[0044] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, since the technical products currently sold on the market are not obtained as a single unit, they have serious defects in addition to involving multiple manual assembly steps. They will separate from each other if subjected to strong traction, which often occurs during replacement. Some fixed components remain in place, thus requiring further intervention and resulting in considerable time loss.

[0045] In fact, in addition to the double-ended steel pin 6, a connector 4 is formed by inserting another steel pin 8, which allows for 90° rotation, and after the system is completed, a mushroom-shaped connector 25 is inserted into this steel pin using a special machine. However, this does not guarantee the durability of the fit under significant stress, which could cause the pin 8 to detach from the mushroom-shaped connector 25.

[0046] To avoid this drawback, a forward-view depicted in Figure 6 has been implemented, which illustrates some embodiments of the invention, given only by way of non-limiting example.

[0047] Referring to these accompanying drawings, the object of the present invention is a structure comprising:

[0048] The anti-slip gripping hook retainer 10 is preferably made of TPU or thermoplastic polyurethane, which is an elastic material with high wear resistance and chemical resistance. It is in the form of a rod, an arch or even more complex shape, adapted to be distributed on the member 10 for gripping the snow and / or ice surface.

[0049] A nylon connector 14, incorporating a double-headed steel pin 15, is used for 180° rotation of the hook retainer 10. At the opposite end 16, the connector 14 has an eyelet 18 forming a seat for a 90° rotation axis 26 of a component 24 fixed to the sole. This rotation axis 26 replaces the rotation axis perpendicular to the hook retainer 10, as shown in the figure.

[0050] Component 24, anchored to the sole, is made of TPU, i.e., the same thermoplastic material as anti-slip component 10, and is adapted to be fastened by one or more fastening devices integral with it (e.g., Figure 5D The mushroom-shaped pin 25 shown is fixed to the sole of the shoe. The fastening device snaps into a corresponding seat arranged in the sole near the groove, which accommodates the reversible support member after being flipped over.

[0051] According to the invention, once the nylon connector 14 is obtained by molding, it is loaded onto a multi-imprint mold for molding the entire structure, and positioned on the anti-slip member 10 with its steel pin 15 so that it is hinged like a flag, while at its opposite end, in the eyelet 18, a TPU shaft 26 is formed by overmolding, which connects the connector to the anchoring member 24.

[0052] Therefore, the joint 14 is integrally formed with the anti-slip hook retainer 10 and the member 24 anchored to the sole, and integrally obtained with the mushroom pin 25, without preventing relative movement, i.e. rotation and flipping, because there is no adhesion between the nylon and TPU. This would also happen when using any other selected pair of suitable plastic materials with different melting points that do not bond to each other during overmolding.

[0053] Figure 11 The different steps for manufacturing the anti-slip system of the present invention are shown above, including:

[0054] a) First, molded in mold A from a plastic material such as nylon ( Figure 11 In the case shown, mold A is multiple, and joint 14 is manually loaded with double-headed steel pins such that each joint 14 carries a protruding steel pin 15, while at opposite ends, the joint is as follows: Figure 12 The shape is as shown to have a protruding attachment 16 with a hole 18, the hole 18 being adapted to form a rotation center of the shaft 26 integrally obtained with the anchoring member 24 in a subsequent overmolding process, the rotation center being perpendicular to the rotation axis of the anti-slip member.

[0055] b) Provide a multi-imprint mold B, which is arranged for simultaneously molding the anti-slip component 10 and the component 24 of the anti-slip component 10 anchored to the sole, with a joint 14 inserted between them, wherein the component 24 is fitted with a mushroom-shaped pin 25.

[0056] c) The connector 14 is loaded into the multi-imprint mold B, positioning it between the imprint of the anti-slip member 10 and the imprint of the member 24 anchored to the sole. The molding operation is performed by selecting a plastic material with a melting point different from that of the molded connector 14, and the connector is also overmolded to obtain the anti-slip member 10, the member 24 anchored to the sole, and the connector 14 forming a single structure obtained as a single piece. Therefore, the member 24 anchored to the sole is avoided from being integral with its mushroom-shaped pin 25, and it can be detached from the anti-slip member 10 even when the elastic force required to pull out the anti-slip member 10 is applied to the sole. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, they do not prevent relative movement, i.e., rotation and flipping, because there is no adhesion between the materials that form them.

[0057] Preferred embodiments of the manufacture have been described herein. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made, particularly regarding the number, location, and shape of the fixing members carried by the components anchored to the sole, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An improved anti-slip device for shoe soles, wherein such an anti-slip device includes an anti-slip component that is not directly fixed to the sole, but rather fixed to a rigid or semi-rigid component, the rigid or semi-rigid component being foldable into a groove provided in the sole, characterized in that... Each anti-slip component (10) and its component (24) are non-detachably connected to each other via a joint (14) with a double-headed steel pin (15). The component (24) is anchored to the sole and has its own locking fastener (25). The double-headed steel pin has a protruding end forming a rotation axis. The anti-slip component (10) is rotatable 180° about the rotation axis. The joint has a protruding attachment (16) on the opposite side. The attachment has an eyelet (18) forming a 90° rotation center of the axis (26) of the component (24) anchored to the sole. The axis (26) is perpendicular to the double-headed steel pin (15). Thus, even if an elastic force required for separation from the anti-slip component (10) is applied to the sole, the component (24) cannot be separated from the anti-slip component (10). The anti-slip member (10) and the member (24) having fastening device (25) and shaft (26) are molded from the same plastic material. The joint (14) is placed between the anti-slip member (10) and the member (24), thereby making the joint (14) integral with both the anti-slip member (10) and the member (24) anchored to the sole. The joint is molded from a plastic material having a different melting point than the overmolded anti-slip member (10) and the member (24).

2. The improved anti-slip device for shoe soles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-slip component (10) and the component (24) having its fastening device (25) are molded from TPU thermoplastic polyurethane to form a single body by overmolding. A joint (14) molded from nylon is placed between the anti-slip component (10) and the component (24) to integrate the joint with both the anti-slip component (10) and the component (24) anchored to the sole. However, since nylon has a different melting point than the thermoplastic polyurethane used in the overmolding, the materials of the two components cannot adhere to each other and thus cannot impede relative movement, i.e., rotational and tumbling movements.

3. The improved anti-slip device for shoe soles according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fastening device of the component (24) anchored to the sole is formed as one or more mushroom-shaped pins, which are fixed in a suitable cavity on one side of the groove in the sole, the cavity accommodating the support member of the anti-slip device.

4. The improved anti-slip device for shoe soles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fastening device of the component (24) anchored to the sole is formed as a mushroom-shaped pin axially aligned with the attachment (16) of the joint (14).

5. The improved anti-slip device for shoe soles according to claim 3, characterized in that, The fastening device of the component (24) anchored to the sole is formed as two mushroom-shaped pins symmetrically positioned relative to the attachment (16) of the joint (14).

6. A method for manufacturing an improved anti-slip device for shoe soles according to claim 1, characterized by the following steps: a) A joint (14) is molded from plastic material, the joint (14) bearing a protruding double-headed steel pin (15), the joint having a protruding attachment (16) on the opposite side, the attachment having an eyelet (18) and being able to form the rotation center of the axis (26) of the component (24), the rotation center being perpendicular to the rotation axis of the anti-slip component during subsequent overmolding; b) Provide a multi-embossing mold (B) arranged for simultaneously molding an anti-slip member (10) and a member (24) thereto anchored to the sole, as well as fastening devices (25) and a shaft (26) of the member (24), wherein the joint (14) is placed between the anti-slip member (10) and the member (24); c) Insert the connector (14) into the multi-imprint mold (B) and position the connector (14) between the imprint of the anti-slip member (10) and the imprint of the member (24) anchored to the sole. Molding is performed by selecting a plastic material with a melting point different from that of the connector (14) and covering the connector to create an integrated structure formed by the anti-slip member (10), the member (24) anchored to the sole by the associated fasteners (25) and shaft (26), and the connector (14). This prevents the member (24) anchored to the sole by its fasteners (25) from separating from the anti-slip member (10), even if the elastic force required for separation from the anti-slip member (10) is applied to the sole. However, this does not impede the movement between the two members, i.e., rotational and flipping movements, because the materials of the two members cannot adhere to each other.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The material selected for molding the connector (14) is nylon, and the material selected for molding the entire structure is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).

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