Waterproof shoe and process of making the same

Abstract

In a process of making a shoe, a waterproof lining sleeve which has a top open end and a bottom open end is mounted inside the shoe by attaching the bottom open end of the lining sleeve to an inner surface of the upper above a bottom end of the upper, without extending the bottom open end of the lining sleeve to the bottom end of the upper and without providing any stitch on the bottom open end of the lining sleeve. The bottom open end of the lining sleeve is attached by applying an adhesive directly to at least one of the upper and the bottom open end of the lining sleeve.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/591,201 and 09/761,891 respectively filed on Jun. 9, 2000 and Jan. 17, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a process of making a shoe. More particularly, the invention is directed to a process of making a waterproof shoe having therein a waterproof lining sleeve, and a shoe produced by the process.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] It is known in the art to produce a waterproof shoe by mounting thereinside a sock-like lining made of a waterproof material which is impervious to water but is pervious to vapors. The sock-like lining has a top open end connected to a top end of an upper and a sole area positioned between an insole and an outsole of the shoe. Since the sole area of the sock-like lining is usually subjected to high pressure and mechanical stress produced by the foot of the wearer, the waterproof breathable material is prone to break and hence lose its waterproofing characteristics. Improvements for coping with such a problem have been suggested in several patents.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,584 discloses a waterproof breathable composite sock-like shoe insert which is made of a waterproof breathable material and which has a sole area of stretchable waterproof material that is stronger than the waterproof breathable material. The sole area is stitched to the remaining part of the shoe insert.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,326 suggests a shoe in which a waterproof breathable shoe insert is sandwiched between an inner surface of an upper and an outer surface of a lining. The shoe insert is bonded adhesively to the inner surface of a lower part of the upper and to the outer surface of the lining disposed inside the shoe insert. The sole area of the shoe insert placed between an insole and an outsole is not only glued to the insole and the outsole, but also to the lining. Although the arrangement as such provides a durable structure, the manufacturing process thereof is laborious because substantial gluing steps are needed to position the shoe insert in the lower part of the shoe.

[0008] The basic application of this application, i.e., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/591,201, discloses a shoe which is designed to provide a drain outlet for the water invading the shoe. A waterproof breathable lining sleeve is mounted inside the shoe by stitching a bottom open end of the lining sleeve to an upper above the bottom open end of the upper. A watertight seal is provided inside the lining sleeve and the upper so that the water seeping through the stitched seam into the space between the lining sleeve and the upper is prevented from invading the interior of the shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A main object of the present invention is to provide a process for making a waterproof shoe, which permits a waterproof lining sleeve to be mounted inside the shoe in a simple manner.

[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a waterproof shoe with a simplified construction.

[0011] According to one aspect of the invention, a process of making a shoe comprises: providing an upper including a top end and a bottom end; placing inside the upper a waterproof lining sleeve which has a top open end and a bottom open end; attaching the bottom open end of the lining sleeve to an inner surface of the upper above the bottom end of the upper, without extending the bottom open end of the lining sleeve to the bottom end of the upper and without providing any stitch on the bottom open end of the lining sleeve, by applying an adhesive directly to at least one of the upper and the bottom open end of the lining sleeve; and mounting a sole to the bottom end of the upper.

[0012] According to another aspect of the invention, a shoe includes an upper having a bottom end in connection with a sole, and a waterproof lining sleeve mounted inside the upper and having a bottom open end bonded adhesively to an inner surface of the upper without extending to the bottom end of the upper, the bottom open end of the lining sleeve being free of a stitch seam.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe produced according to a process of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

[0016] FIG. 3 is the same view as FIG. 2 but with a waterproof tape covering a seam at the bottom open end of the waterproof lining sleeve; and

[0017] FIG. 4 is the same view as FIG. 3 but with a portion thereof omitted and with the waterproof tape extending to the bottom end of an upper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a shoe produced according to a process of the present invention is shown to include an upper 1 which has a bottom end 12. The upper 1 is formed by connecting and stitching together a toe cap 13, a counter 14, and a quarter section 15 of the upper 1. Therefore, a seam 101 is formed between the toe cap 13 and the quarter section 15, while a seam 102 is formed between the quarter section 15 and the heel section 14.

[0019] A lining sleeve 2 is made of a waterproof material and is mounted inside the upper 1 by stitching a top open end 20 of the lining sleeve 2 to a top portion of the upper 1 along a seam 16 and by bonding adhesively a bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 directly to an inner surface of the upper 1 above the bottom end 12 of the upper 1. Alternatively, the top open end 20 of the lining sleeve 2 may be lengthened so as to extend to and connect with the top end 11 of the upper 1 via stitching. Preferably, the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 is bonded to the upper 1 by applying an adhesive to an inner surface of the upper 1 adjacent to the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2, or/and to an outer surface of the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2. The adhesive is waterproof and is applied in a waterproof manner so that a watertight seam 9 is formed between the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 and the upper 1. Since the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2 does not extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1 and since no stitches are provided at the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2, the mounting of the lining sleeve 2 inside the upper 1 according to the present invention is relatively simple as compared to the prior art mentioned hereinbefore. Note that the lining sleeve 2 is connected to the upper 1 only at the top open end 20 and the bottom open end 21 thereof, and the remaining parts thereof are separated from the upper 1. Furthermore, the lining sleeve 2 may be a one-piece construction made of the same breathable or non-breathable waterproof material, or a multi-piece construction which is constituted by a plurality of waterproof sheets that are stitched together and sealed in a watertight manner at the stitch seams thereof. The waterproof sheets may be breathable or non-breathable, and may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0020] After the lining sleeve 2 is mounted inside the upper 1, the bottom end 12 of the upper 1 is lasted in a conventional manner and connected to an insole 4. A filler 7 is disposed in an opening confined by the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, and a waterproof cover 8 is provided beneath the filler 7 in a conventional manner. A conventional inner lining 6 is optionally mounted inside the lining sleeve 2 by stitching a top end of the inner lining 6 to the top end 11 of the upper 1 and by positioning a sole area of the lining 6 to the insole 4. Finally, an outsole 5 is attached to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 3, to ensure that the seam 9 is watertight, the seam 9 may be covered by bonding adhesively a waterproof tape 3A to the inner surface of the lining sleeve 2 and to the inner surface of the upper 1 along the seam 9. The bottom end 31A of the waterproof tape 3A does not extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1. As the seam 9 is watertight, the water invading the space between the lining sleeve 2 and the upper 1 can be prevented effectively from flowing downward to the bottom end of the upper 1. The invading water in said space can flow outward through stitch seams 101, 102 of the upper 1. Drain holes 103 may be optionally provided in the upper 1 above the seam 9.

[0022] Although the waterproof tape 3A as shown in FIG. 3 does not extend to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, it is not limited thereto in the present invention. A waterproof tape 3B which has a bottom end 31B extending to the bottom end 12 of the upper 1, as shown in FIG. 4, may be used in place of the waterproof tape 3A. The top end of the waterproof tape 3B is connected to the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2. The waterproof tape 3B serves as a waterproof liner to line the inner surface of the upper 1 beneath the bottom open end 21 of the lining sleeve 2.

[0023] While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A process of making a shoe, comprising:

providing an upper having a top end and a bottom end;

placing inside said upper a waterproof lining sleeve which has a top open end and a bottom open end;

attaching said bottom open end of said lining sleeve to an inner surface of said upper above said bottom end of said upper, without extending said bottom open end of said lining sleeve to said bottom end of said upper and without providing any stitch on said bottom open end of said lining sleeve, by applying an adhesive directly to at least one of said upper and said bottom open end of said lining sleeve; and

mounting a sole to said bottom end of said upper.

2. The process according to

claim 1, further comprising the step of bonding adhesively a waterproof tape to said inner surface of said upper and an inner surface of said bottom open end of said lining sleeve after said bottom open end of said lining sleeve is attached to said upper.

3. The process according to

claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting said top open end of said lining sleeve to said top end of said upper.

4. The process according to

claim 2, further comprising the step of extending said waterproof tape to said bottom end of said upper.

5. The process according to

claim 1, wherein said lining sleeve is made of a material which is impervious to water but is pervious to perspiration vapors.

6. A shoe produced according to the process of

claim 1, comprising: an upper having a bottom end in connection with a sole; a waterproof lining sleeve mounted inside said upper and having a bottom open end bonded adhesively to an inner surface of said upper without extending to said bottom end of said upper, said bottom open end of said lining sleeve being free of a stitch seam.