SOFT TOE POST WITH REINFORCEMENT

Abstract

A footwear product includes an upper strap assembly coupled to a sole assembly using a toe post. The toe post includes a soft shell that is at least partially disposed over a reinforcement element.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/554,825, which was filed on Nov. 2, 2011, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used, in isolation, as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. At a high level, embodiments of the invention relate to a toe post having a soft shell and a reinforcement element. Other embodiments of the invention relate to a footwear product having a toe post that includes a soft shell disposed over at least a portion of a reinforcement element.

While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1A is a top plan view of a toe post in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a side elevation view of a toe post in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a toe post and a reinforcement element in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3A is a front perspective view of a footwear product in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3B is bottom view of a footwear product in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3C is a perspective view of an interface between a toe post and an upper strap assembly in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a top view of a reinforcement-element mold in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a top view of a soft-shell mold in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4C is a side view of a toe post showing pins for holding a reinforcement element in place during molding in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4D is an enlarged side view of a toe post showing a reinforced region of a reinforcement element in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting a method of constructing a toe post in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting a method of constructing a footwear product in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a top view of a mold having a reinforcement mold cavity and a soft-shell mold cavity in accordance with embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the invention is described with specificity to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different features or combinations of features similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other technologies. Moreover, although aspects of methods of constructing products according to embodiments of the invention are described with reference to “blocks,” the term “block” should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various aspects unless the order of individual aspects is explicitly described.

Embodiments of the invention include a footwear product having a toe post that includes a soft shell and a reinforcement element. The footwear product can be a shoe, a sandal, or any other type of footwear product having a toe post. For example, in an embodiment, the footwear product can be a flip-flop type sandal in which a toe post is anchored, at one end, to a sole assembly and is attached to an upper strap assembly. Embodiments of the invention can include different combinations of the features and components described herein, additional features or components that are not described herein, and components made from different materials or combinations of materials than those described herein. All such implementations are considered to be within the ambit of the invention.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a toe post 10 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The toe post 10 includes an anchor 12 at one end of the toe post 10 that is configured for anchoring the toe post 10 to a sole assembly 42 of a footwear product 40 (as shown, e.g., in FIGS. 3A and 3B). The toe post 10 also includes an attachment section 14 for attaching the toe post to an upper strap assembly 52 (also shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B). A shaft 16 extends between the anchor 12 and the attachment section 14.

The toe post 10 includes a soft shell 18 that is at least partially disposed over a reinforcement element 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcement element 20 includes an anchor portion 22 at one end, a fin assembly 26 at the other end, and a shaft 24 extending between the anchor portion 22 and the fin assembly 26. The anchor portion 22 includes a first surface 22a oriented generally perpendicularly to the shaft 24 and a second, opposing surface 22b, from which the shaft 24 extends. As shown in FIG. 2, the anchor portion 22 of the reinforcement element 20 also includes a third surface 22c extending between the first and second surfaces 22a and 22b along the perimeter of the anchor portion 22, thereby defining a generally disc-shaped anchor portion 22. In other embodiments, the anchor portion 22 is generally circularly shaped, oval shaped, triangularly shaped, square shaped, or another shape.

As is also shown in FIG. 2, the fin assembly 26 includes a first fin 26a, a second fin 26b, and an attachment interface surface 26c. The attachment interface surface 26c is configured to be attached to an upper interface surface 54a (see FIG. 3C) of an upper strap assembly 52. In some embodiments, other portions of the reinforcement element 20 can be configured for attachment to the upper strap assembly 52. Additionally, in other embodiments, the fin assembly 26 can be provided with a convex shape (e.g., resembling a paddle), a circular shape, or any other shape. Any number of fins can be included in the fin assembly 26 and can be configured according to any number of different shapes. According to various embodiments of the invention, the reinforcement element 20 can be constructed of any number of various types of material such as, for example, different types of nylon.

The soft shell 18 is disposed over at least a portion of the reinforcement element 20. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the soft shell 18 includes an anchor-cover portion 30 that partially covers the anchor portion 22 of the reinforcement element 20. As shown, the anchor-cover portion 30 includes a first surface 30a that engages the second surface 22b of the anchor portion 22 of the reinforcement element 20. The anchor-cover portion 30 also is generally disc-shaped, having a second, opposing surface 30b and a third surface 30c disposed between the first and second surfaces 30a and 30b along the perimeter of the anchor-cover portion 30. A shaft-cover portion 32 extends away from the anchor-cover portion 30, covering the shaft portion 24 of the reinforcement element 20.

According to embodiments, the shaft-cover portion 32 extends between the anchor-cover portion 30 and a fin-assembly cover 34, as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the fin assembly 26 is left completely exposed. In other embodiments, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the attachment interface surface 26c of the fin assembly 26 is left at least partially exposed via an aperture 36 in the fin-assembly cover 34, thereby providing an attachment-interface region 35.

The soft shell 18 can be constructed from any number of different types of material that provide a soft interface between the toe post 10 and the foot of a wearer (not shown). For example, in embodiments, the soft shell 18 can be constructed using a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. Examples of TPE materials include thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), styrenic block copolymers, and the like. Embodiments of the toe post 10 described above can be utilized to couple a sole assembly 42 of a footwear product 40 to an upper strap assembly 52, as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a footwear product 40. The footwear product 40 includes a sole assembly 42 having a forefoot portion 44, a heel portion 46, a midfoot portion 48. In embodiments, the sole assembly 42 can be made of any number of different materials or combinations of materials. In some embodiments, for example, the sole assembly 42 is molded from a foam material such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). In other embodiments, the sole assembly is molded from rubber, while, in further embodiments, different portions of the sole assembly are constructed using different materials.

An aperture 50 is defined through the forefoot portion 44 from a lower surface 50a of the sole assembly 42 to an upper surface 50b of the sole assembly 42 and is sized to accommodate at least the shaft 16 of the toe post 10. The toe post 10 is coupled to the sole assembly 42 by inserting the toe post 10 through the aperture 50 such that an upper surface 30b of the anchor 12 engages the lower surface 50a of the sole assembly 42 and at least a portion of the shaft 16 is disposed through the aperture 50.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3C, the footwear product 40 also includes an upper strap assembly 52. The upper strap assembly 52 includes a front portion 54 having an upper interface surface 54a. The upper strap assembly 52 also includes a first strap 56 and a second strap 58. In embodiments, as shown, the first and second straps 56 and 58 are attached to the sole assembly 42 at respective mounting ends 60 and 62. In embodiments, the upper strap assembly 52 can be made of any number of different materials or combination of materials. In some embodiments, for example, the upper strap assembly 52 is molded from a foam material such as EVA. In other embodiments, the sole assembly is constructed using a TPE material.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show a process for constructing a toe post 10 in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The toe post 10 is constructed by first creating a reinforcement element 20. FIG. 4A shows a mold half 100, which may be part of a two-part mold, for creating the reinforcement element 20. The reinforcement element 20 is created by injecting a reinforcement-element material into an injection port 101 of the mold cavity 102. According to various embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 can be constructed of any number of different types of materials that provide strength to the toe post 10. In an embodiment, the reinforcement element 20 is made of a nylon material such as, for example, Aquamid AV6 (polyamide 6), available from Aquafil® S.p.A. of Trento, Italy. In other embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 can be made of other types of nylon material or the like.

According to various embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 can be molded according to any number of various shapes. Additionally, in embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 can be molded to include reinforced regions 103 (see, e.g., FIG. 4D), which are regions that are molded to be thicker than surrounding regions. In this manner, the tensile strength of the reinforcement element 20 can be increased as desired. After cooling, the reinforcement element 20 is removed from the mold cavity 102. In some embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 is removed from the mold cavity 102 when it has cooled sufficiently to allow for it to reach its final hardness, while, in other embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 is removed while it is still hardening.

FIG. 4B shows a mold 104 for creating the soft shell 18. The reinforcement element 20 is placed within the cavity 106 of the soft-shell mold 104. In some embodiments, the mold cavities 102 and 106 can be defined in separate molds 100 and 104, respectively. In other embodiments, the mold cavities 102 and 106 can be defined within a single mold 107, as shown in FIG. 7. Additionally, it should be readily appreciated that, because the soft shell 18 is configured to cover at least a portion of the reinforcement element 20, the cavity 106 of the soft-shell mold 104 is larger than the finished reinforcement element 20, according to embodiments of the invention. In embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 is placed into the mold cavity 106 by hand, while, in other embodiments, the reinforcement element 20 is automatically placed within the mold cavity 106 by a machine (not shown). In this manner, the toe post 10 can be constructed while avoiding contamination of the reinforcement element 20 by oils deposited from an operator's skin. Automatic placement of the reinforcement element 20 can provide for consistent orientation of the reinforcement element 20 within the mold cavity 106, according to embodiments of the invention.

After the reinforcement element 20 is placed within the cavity 106, a soft-shell material 107 is injected into the cavity 106, thereby forming a soft shell 18 that is disposed over at least a portion of the reinforcement element 20. According to various embodiments, the soft shell 18 can be constructed of any number of different types of materials that provide for a soft cover on the toe post 10, thereby improving comfort to the wearer. In embodiments, the soft shell 18 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. Examples of TPE materials include thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) materials, styrenic block copolymers, and the like. For instance, in an embodiment, the soft-shell material is Megol® DP1741/30 SVPA (having a hardness of 34 Sh/A), available from API® S.p.A., of Mussolente, Italy. In other embodiments, the soft shell 18 can be made of other types of Megol®, TPE material, TPU material, or the like.

In embodiments, the soft shell 18 is disposed over the entire reinforcement element 20, while, in other embodiments, the soft shell 18 is disposed over a portion of the reinforcement element 20. For instance, in an embodiment, a portion 26c of the reinforcement element is left exposed to facilitate attachment to an upper interface surface 54a of an upper strap assembly 52. In some embodiments, the upper strap assembly 52 is constructed from a molded foam such as, for example, EVA and glue that is used in some embodiments to attach the toe post 10 to the upper strap assembly 52 may not effectively adhere thermoplastic material (e.g., TPE or TPU) to EVA. Accordingly, providing an attachment interface surface 26c by leaving a portion of nylon exposed allows for more effectively adhering the toe post to the upper strap assembly 52, in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the toe post 10 can be adhered to the upper strap assembly 52 using other techniques such as, for example, welding, fusing, taping, clipping, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, pins 108a, 108b, 109a, and 109b are inserted into the mold cavity 106 to hold the reinforcement element 20 in place during the injection molding of the soft shell 18. In some embodiments, the pins 108a, 108b, 109a, and 109b can be built into the mold cavity 106. In this manner, a desired position of the reinforcement element 20 with respect to the soft shell 18 is maintained during the process of molding the soft shell 18. As shown, two sets 108 and 109 of pins can be used. In the pictured embodiment, a first set 108 of pins is disposed in a substantially perpendicular manner with respect to the fin assembly 26 of the reinforcement element 20 so that the pins 108a and 108b of the first set 108 engage the fin assembly 26 on a first side 110 thereof. A second set 109 of pins 109a and 109b also is disposed in a substantially perpendicular manner with respect to the fin assembly 26 of the reinforcement element 20 so that the pins 109a and 109b of the second set 109 engage the fin assembly 26 on a second side 111 thereof. In some embodiments, the pins can be oriented at an angle, rather than substantially perpendicularly with respect to the fin assembly 26. In other embodiments, pins can be inserted in the mold cavity 106 such that the pins engage the shaft portion 24, the anchor portion 22, or any combination of portions of the reinforcement element 20.

In embodiments, the two sets 108 and 109 of pins can be oriented such that the engaging ends 112a and 112b of the pins 108a and 108b line up with the engaging ends 113a and 113b of the pins 109a and 109b. In other embodiments, the two sets 108 and 109 of pins can be offset in their orientations with respect to one another. In still further embodiments, any other number of pins can be employed to maintain the position of the reinforcement element 20 in the mold cavity 106. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4C, the pins engage the fin assembly 26 by exerting force upon the surfaces 110a and 111a of the two sides 110 and 111, respectively. In other embodiments, pins can be inserted through apertures in the fin assembly 26.

During injection of the soft-shell material, the portion of the soft-shell material that contacts the reinforcement element 20 bonds to the reinforcement element, thereby forming the toe post 10. In embodiments, the bond between the soft shell 18 and the reinforcement element 20 can be any type of bond such as, for example, a chemical bond, a frictional bond, or the like. According to various embodiments, the materials, interface temperatures, cleanliness of the reinforcement element 20, melt temperature of the soft-shell material, and interface areas (e.g., the amount of surface of each part 18 and 20 that contact one another) can be chosen to achieve a desired bond strength between the reinforcement element 20 and the soft shell 18. For example, in embodiments, the soft shell 18 can be made of a soft thermoplastic elastomer material and the reinforcement element 20 can be made of a nylon material. The chemical properties of these two types of materials allow for chemical bonding between them. Additionally, nylon materials have desirable properties for use as a reinforcement element 20 because they are resilient, have high elongation, and high elasticity properties, while allowing for a strong bond with the thermoplastic materials. In various embodiments, however, other types of materials can be utilized that provide a bonded interface between them and a reinforced structure that has a soft outer shell.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting a method 500 of constructing a toe post in accordance with embodiments of the invention. For example, the method 500 can be used to construct the toe post 10 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. A first material is injected into a first mold cavity to create a reinforcement element (block 510). The reinforcement element (e.g., the reinforcement element 20 shown in FIG. 2) includes an anchor portion, a shaft portion, and a fin assembly. In embodiments, the first material includes a nylon material such as, for example, a polyamide 6.

The reinforcement element is removed from the first mold cavity (block 512) and is placed within a second mold cavity (block 514). In some embodiments, the reinforcement element is removed from the first mold cavity and placed in the second mold cavity by hand. In other embodiments, the process is automated so that a machine removes the reinforcement element from the first mold cavity and places it in the second mold cavity. According to various embodiments, pins are used to hold the reinforcement element in a position in the second mold cavity. In some embodiments, the pins are oriented substantially perpendicularly with respect to the fin assembly. In an embodiment, inserting the pins includes placing the pins such that an engagement end of each pin engages a surface of the fin assembly. In another embodiment, inserting the pins includes placing the pins through corresponding apertures defined within the fin assembly.

A second material is injected into the second mold cavity to create a soft shell (block 516). According to various embodiments the soft shell is disposed over the entire reinforcement element, while, in other embodiments, the soft shell is disposed over a portion of the reinforcement element. For instance, in an embodiment the soft shell includes an aperture that exposes an attachment interface surface of the reinforcement element. In embodiments, the second material bonds to at least a portion of the reinforcement element. For example, in an embodiment, the second material includes a thermoplastic elastomer material (e.g., a styrenic clock copolymer material) that chemically bonds to a nylon material used to construct the reinforcement element. According to various embodiments, the constructed toe post can include any number of other features or combinations of features, as well.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting a method 600 of constructing a sandal in accordance with embodiments of the invention. For example, the method 600 can be used to construct the sandal 40 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. A toe post is created (block 610). According to various embodiments, the toe post is created by injecting a first material such as, for example, nylon, into a first mold cavity to create a reinforcement element. The reinforcement element is placed in a second mold cavity into which a second material such as, for example, a TPE material, is injected. The second material bonds to the first material, thereby creating a toe post having a soft shell that is disposed over at least a portion of a reinforcement element. In embodiments, the toe post includes an anchor at a first end thereof, an attachment section, and a shaft disposed between the anchor and the attachment section.

The toe post is coupled to a sole assembly (block 612). In embodiments, the sole assembly can be made of any number of different materials or combination of materials. In some embodiments, for example, the sole assembly is molded from a foam material such as EVA. In other embodiments, the sole assembly is molded from rubber, while, in further embodiments, different portions of the sole assembly are constructed using different materials. The sole assembly includes a forefoot portion and an aperture that is defined through the forefoot portion from a lower surface of the sole assembly to an upper surface of the sole assembly. According to various embodiments, coupling the toe post to the sole assembly includes inserting the toe post through the aperture such that an upper surface of the anchor engages the lower surface, or an inner surface, of the sole assembly and at least a portion of the shaft is disposed through the aperture.

A front portion of an upper strap assembly is attached to an attachment section of the toe post (block 614). According to various embodiments, attaching the front portion of the upper strap assembly to the attachment section of the toe post includes gluing the front portion of the strap assembly to an attachment interface surface of the reinforcement element. In other embodiments, the upper strap assembly can be attached to the toe post using fasteners, stitches, fusing, welding, adhesives, clips, or the like. Additionally, in some embodiments, the toe post and the upper strap assembly can be constructed as a single, continuous part. In embodiments, the upper strap assembly can be made of any number of different materials or combination of materials. In some embodiments, for example, the upper strap assembly is molded from a foam material such as EVA. In other embodiments, the sole assembly is constructed using a TPE material. Embodiments of the invention also include attaching a rear portion of the upper strap assembly to the sole assembly, which can be achieved using any number of different types of attachment mechanisms. The upper strap assembly can be constructed according to any number of different configurations and can include heel straps, and the like, so as to create different types of sandals, flip-flops, and other footwear products.

The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its scope. Certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A toe post, comprising:

a reinforcement element, the reinforcement element comprising a first material; and

a soft shell disposed over at least a portion of the reinforcement element, the soft shell comprising a second material different from the first material.

2. The toe post of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises nylon.

3. The toe post of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material.

4. The toe post of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material comprises a styrenic block copolymer material.

5. The toe post of claim 1, wherein the first material is bonded to the second material.

6. The toe post of claim 1, further comprising an attachment interface of the reinforcement element defined by an aperture in the soft shell.

7. A method of constructing a toe post, the method comprising:

injecting a first material into a first mold cavity to create a reinforcement element;

removing the reinforcement element from the first mold cavity;

placing the reinforcement element within a second mold cavity; and

injecting a second material into the second mold cavity to create a soft shell that is disposed over at least a portion of the reinforcement element, wherein the second material bonds to at least a portion of an outside surface of the reinforcement element.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second mold cavity includes pins that hold the reinforcement element in a position within the second mold cavity.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the reinforcement element comprises a fin assembly and, wherein inserting the pins comprises orienting the pins substantially perpendicularly to the fin assembly.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein inserting the pins comprises placing the pins such that an engagement end of each pin engages a surface of the fin assembly.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein inserting the pins comprises placing the pins through corresponding apertures defined within the fin assembly.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second material bonds to a portion of an outside surface of the reinforcement element such that an attachment interface surface of the reinforcement element is exposed.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the second material bonds to an entirety of the outside surface of the reinforcement element.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the first material comprises nylon.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the second material comprises a thermoplastic elastomer material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the thermoplastic elastomer material comprises a styrenic block copolymer material.

17. A method of constructing a footwear product, the method comprising:

creating a toe post, the toe post including a soft shell that is disposed over at least a portion of a reinforcement element, wherein the toe post comprises an anchor at a first end thereof, an attachment section, and a shaft disposed between the anchor and the attachment section;

coupling the toe post to a sole assembly, the sole assembly having a forefoot portion and an aperture that is defined through the forefoot portion from a lower surface of the sole assembly to an upper surface of the sole assembly, wherein coupling the toe post to the sole assembly comprises inserting the toe post through the aperture such that an upper surface of the anchor engages the sole assembly and at least a portion of the shaft is disposed through the aperture; and

attaching a front portion of an upper strap assembly to the attachment section of the toe post.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising attaching a rear portion of an upper strap assembly to the sole assembly.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the attachment section of the toe post comprises an attachment interface surface of the reinforcement element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein attaching the front portion of the upper strap assembly to the attachment section of the toe post comprises adhering the front portion of the strap assembly to the attachment interface surface of the reinforcement element.