Transversely deformable insole for footwear

Abstract

An insole (S) usable in footwear provided for the transverse adaptation of the plant and thus provided with transversely deformable soles, characterized in that said insole (S) is transversely deformable and comprising a localized deformation area (10) obtained in the outline of the insole itself, as well as at least one temporary holding constraint element (20) that runs transversely to the insole (S) from one end to the other and adapted to facilitate the footwear assembly steps.

Description

[0001] TRANSVERSELY DEFORMABLE INSOLE FOR FOOTWEAR

[0002] The present invention relates to the footwear sector, and more specifically concerns a transversely deformable insole, so that its transverse dimension adapts - together with the sole - to the width of the foot of the person wearing the footwear. it is known that in the construction of a piece of footwear, mounting forms are used which have lengths with pre-established fits; this means that the user can generally choose footwear on the market that is suitable for the length of his / her feet but not always suitable for the transverse width thereof.

[0003] This causes obvious discomfort for the user also because it is a well-known fact that the width of the human foot never has a well-defined ratio with its length and that the morphology of a person's right foot is generally not identical to that of the left foot, with the effect that footwear made with the same mounting forms for both feet can adapt well to the right foot and not to the left or vice versa.

[0004] Soles for shoes provided with deformable elements adapted to allow transverse adaptability thereof based on the different shape of the feet are known.

[0005] A sole is also known which is provided with deformable longitudinal areas adapted to allow transverse adaptability thereof based on the different shape of the feet.

[0006] However, the presence of rigid elements inside the shoe limits or completely prevents the transverse adaptation of said known soles, making the solutions adopted aimed at improving the comfort of the footwear i neffecti ve .

[0007] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to overcome the limits of the prior art by providing an innovative insole that can be used in combination with transversely deformable soles and a method of manufacturing and applying the same which allows both the normal assembly operations of the piece of footwear to be facilitated, and transverse adaptation of the piece of footwear based on the different shape of the feet.

[0008] The proposed solution is an innovative insole and a method for attaching said insole to any upper; in particular, the insole is preferably made of flexible, non-stretchable material and is provided with a specific deformable area, provided with temporary constraint means adapted to prevent deformation of said insole only during the footwear assembly steps.

[0009] A better understanding of the invention will be achieved with the following detailed description and with reference to the accompanying figures, which show a preferred embodiment and some variants, solely by way of non-limiting example. in the drawings:

[0010] Figure 1 is a view of the insole according to the invention in which the deformable area is outlined.

[0011] Figure 2 is a view of the insole according to the invention in which the deformable area is obtained through substantially longitudinal pass-through incisions which allow localized deformability even if the insole material is not elastic. Figure 3 is a view of a variant of Figure 2 in which the deformation area is obtained through open incisions, onto which a layer of elastic material is attached ;

[0012] Figure 4 is a view of the insole in which the temporary transverse constraint elements applied to the deformable zone can be seen;

[0013] Figure 5 shows a further variant of Figure 1 in which the deformable area is made up of an elastic material that replaces that of the insole and is sewn around the perimeter of the insole itself;

[0014] Figure 6 is an exploded view showing how the upper is assembled to the sole, placing the transversely deformable insole between them.

[0015] As anticipated, the invention can be used in footwear that allows transverse adaptation of the plant of the footwear, therefore in conjunction with soles that are designed for transverse adaptation.

[0016] According to the invention, the insole (S) is provided with a localized deformation area (10) obtained with the outline of a generic insole.

[0017] Said localized deformation area (10) extends from the forefoot area to the central area of the midfoot, i.e. in the part of the sole generally most subject to having to adapt to different shapes of foot or where, in any case, the weight is discharged most during moti on .

[0018] According to the invention, said deformable area (10) allows both an adaptation of the width of the insole based on the different conformation of the foot, and a temporary adaptation depending on the movement, making the footwear more comfortable during walking; in both cases the adaptation is favored by the transverse expansion of the insole, an expansion which is proportional to the size of the foot. in a preferred but non-limiting embodiment, said localized deformation area (10) is constituted by at least one longitudinal pass-through incision (11), preferably arcuate, adapted to allow a transverse adaptation of the insole itself following insertion into the footwear of a foot having a conformation that is transversely larger than the undeformed surface of the insole itself. As mentioned, the relative sole of the footwear must be of a transversely deformable type. in the preferred but non-limiting embodiment described, there are 3 longitudinal arcuate incisions (11).

[0019] Alternatively, in a variant of the invention said deformation area (10) is created by providing one or more open pass-through incisions (13), onto which a thin layer of elastic material (12A) is attached, the surface of which substantially covers the entire deformable area (10).

[0020] According to the invention, the adaptation to the transverse dimension of the foot deriving from the presence of said localized deformation area (10) is independent of the manufacturing technique of said area (10) and thus the transverse deformation is obtained by creating in the area (10) longitudinal pass-through incisions (11), or through a combination of open incisions (13) covered with elastic material (12A) .

[0021] Advantageously, with this technique, different types of material can be used to create the insole.

[0022] According to the invention, said insole (S) is prepared beforehand by providing said deformation area (10) in a common insole. in particular, in the preferred non-limiting embodiment described, said deformation area (10) is provided by making appropriate pass-through cuts (11) arranged in a substantially longitudinal direction.

[0023] The insole (S) provided with said deformation area

[0024] (10), adapted to allow transverse deformation, must be constrained to the upper and the sole.

[0025] The connection between the upper and the insole occurs through known techniques such as sewing and / or gluing; it is important to note that this step is crucial as the correct connection of the insole to the upper contributes to making the footwear solid and comfortable, implicitly increasing its quality.

[0026] However, the presence of the deformation area (10) described so far complicates the steps of connecting the insole (S) to the upper, especially in the presence of automated processes, precisely because of the deformability of its structure which does not allow it to have a fixed size for sewing and / or gluing.

[0027] To overcome the above problem, according to the invention one or more temporary holding constraint bands (20) are advantageously applied to the insole, which are arranged transversely to the insole from one end to the other, therefore passing over the deformability area (10), temporarily preventing transverse deformation thereof.

[0028] These constraint bands (20) also have a holding function as they prevent deformation of the insole (S) , due to the presence of the deformability area (10), in particular during the steps of attaching it to the upper.

[0029] According to a peculiar characteristic of the invention, said one or more constraint bands (20) are temporary as they must necessarily be removed, or in any case cut, at the end of the operations for attaching the insole (S) to the upper; in fact, if said constraint bands (20) were not removed or cut, they would continue to constrain the deformability area (10) thus not allowing it to perform the function for which it is intended, i.e. the transverse deformation of the insole (S) .

[0030] Said temporary holding constraint bands (20) are applied to the insole (S) by sewing and / or gluing. in the preferred but non-limiting embodiment described, several parallel constraint bands (20) are applied, for example as those shown in Figure 4 where a possible, preferably central, cutting line is also shown on each band.

[0031] Alternatively, a single constraint band (20) can be used, provided that the dimensions are sufficient to guarantee transverse holding, i.e. the nondeformability of the insole (S) during the assembly operations of the shoe and, in particular, the connection operation of the insole (S) to the upper. Therefore, according to the invention, the method of assembling the shoe which involves the use of an insole (S) according to the invention and a suitable sole configured to allow transverse adaptability, involves the following steps:

[0032] • Producing the insole (S) according to the invention, with a transverse deformability area (10) obtainable by: o Making in the insole (S) at least one longitudinal pass-th rough incision (11); or o Making one or more open incisions (13) onto which a layer of elastic material (12A) is applied for covering the incisions themselves;

[0033] • Applying, by sewing or gluing, at least one temporary holding constraint band (20) onto said transverse deformability area (10) of the insole (S) ;

[0034] • Attaching the insole (S) to an upper by sewing or gluing;

[0035] • Removing or cutting each constraint band (20) applied to the insole (S) ;

[0036] • Attaching a sole to the upper, configured to allow transverse adaptability, by sewing and / or gluing.

[0037] Advantageously, the use of a transversely deformable sole in combination with the insole (S) according to the present invention allows a shoe to be obtained that adapts perfectly to any shape of the foot and that is particularly comfortable during walking, precisely thanks to the transverse deformability of the shoe.

[0038] Conversely, the application of a common traditional insole, therefore not equipped with said localized deformation area (10), to a transversely deformable sole would not allow the shoe to adapt to the different shapes of the foot or to deform during motion as the insole, being joined to the upper, which in turn is joined to the sole, would constitute a rigid constraint that does not allow transverse expansions.

[0039] Finally, it is also possible to envisage a further variant (Figure 5) in which the localized deformation zone (10) is created by replacing the original material of the insole, present in the deformation area, with an elastic material (12); in this case said elastic material (12) is joined to the remaining part of the insole by known methods, preferably by sewing.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A piece of footwear adaptable to the width of the foot, comprising an upper and a transversely deformable sole between which an insole is interposed, characterized in that said insole (S) is transversely deformable and comprises the following elements:• A localized deformation area (10) placed at the plant of the foot;• At least one temporary holding constraint element (20) arranged transversely to the insole (S) and attached thereto externally to said localized deformation area (10); wherein said temporary holding constraint element (20) is configured to prevent the transverse deformation of said insole (S) until it is removed or cut and wherein said localized deformation area (10) is such to allow a transverse adaptation of the piece of footwear proportional to the size of the foot.

2. A piece of footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that said localized deformation area (10) of the insole (S) is obtained by providing at least one substantially longitudinal pass-through incision (11).

3. A piece of footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that said localized deformation area (10) of the insole (S) is obtained by providing open incisions (13) onto which a layer of elastic material (12A) is attached.

4. A method for assembling a piece of footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that it further includes the following steps:• Producing an insole (S) provided with a transverse deformability area (10) made by: o Providing in the insole (S) at least one substantially longitudinal pass- th rough incision (11); or o Providing in the insole (S) one or more open incisions (13) onto which a layer of elastic material (12A) is attached for covering said deformability area (10);• Applying onto said insole (S) , by sewing or gluing, at least one temporary transverse holding constraint band (20);• Attaching the insole (S) to an upper by sewing or gluing;• Removing or cutting each constraint band (20) previously applied to the insole (S) ;• Attaching a transversely deformable sole to the upper by sewing or gluing.

5. A piece of footwear according to claim 1, characterized in that said localized deformation area (10) of the insole (S) is obtained by replacing the original material of the insole present in the entire deformation area with an elastic material (12), said elastic material being joined to the rest of the insole by known means, e.g. by sewing.

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