Shoe having waterproof breathable shell

Abstract

A shoe includes a waterproof shell which has at least one vent hole provided between upper and lower ends of the shell. A screen member which is porous to provide ventilation is disposed across the vent hole and attached to an inner surface of the shell. A ventilating sheet is disposed inwardly of the screen member and attached sealingly to the shell to cover the screen member. The ventilating sheet is made of a waterproof breathable membrane. Due to the screen member and the ventilating sheet, the shell is both waterproof and breathable.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a waterproof shoe, more particularly to a shoe which has a waterproof and breathable shell.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional waterproof shoe comprises an upper 1, a shell 2 and an outsole 3. The lower end of the upper 1 is stitched to the upper end of the shell 2, and the lower end of the shell 2 is cemented to the outsole 3. The shell 2 is a waterproof shell formed by a molding process from a waterproof material such as a natural rubber, a thermoplastic polyurethane or a thermoplastic rubber. Since waterproof shells made of the aforesaid materials have good abrasion resistance and good waterproofing properties, they are widely used in hunting boots, safety working shoes, hiking shoes and pac boots.

[0005] However, while the shoe having the shell 2 provides good waterproofing effects, since the material used in the shell 2 does not permit ventilation, after the shoe is worn by the wearer for a prolonged period, the wearer would feel uncomfortable due to heat and moisture produced inside the shoe. Even if only a portion of the shell 2 such as a toe part or a heel part, is made of the aforesaid material, the shoe can more or less discomfort the wearer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] An object of this invention is to provide a shoe which has good waterproofing properties, but still permits good ventilation.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention provides a shoe which comprises: a sole unit; a shell made of a waterproof material and including an upper end, a lower end, and a toe part and a heel part which are interconnected between the upper and lower ends, the lower end being connected to the sole unit, the shell further having at least one vent hole provided in the shell between the upper and lower ends; a screen member disposed across the vent hole and being meshed to provide ventilation; and a ventilating sheet disposed inwardly of the screen member and attached to the shell to line the screen member, the ventilating sheet being made of a waterproof breathable membrane and being connected in a watertight manner to the shell around the vent hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] 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:

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a conventional shoe;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0011] FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

[0012] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

[0017] FIG. 9 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 10 shows a seventh embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

[0020] FIG. 12 shows an eighth embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along 13-13 of FIG. 12;

[0022] FIG. 14 shows a ninth embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 14;

[0024] FIG. 16 shows a tenth embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17-17 of FIG. 16; and

[0026] FIG. 18 is the same view as FIG. 17 but with a layer of textile material being disposed at the outer side of the shell.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a first embodiment of the present invention is formed as a waterproof shoe which comprises an upper 10, a sole unit 20, a shell 30, a ventilating sheet 40, a waterproof sealing unit 50 and a lining 60.

[0028] The upper 10 is made of a breathable material such as leather or a fabric material. The bottom end of the upper 10 is connected to an upper open end of the shell 30 via a stitching process. A bottom open end of the shell 30 is connected to the sole unit 20. The sole unit 20 includes an outsole 21 which is attached to the bottom open end of the shell 30 via a conventional process. A filler 23 is filled in the bottom open end of the shell 30, and a waterproof plate 22 is bonded to the filler 23 and the bottom open end of the shell 30 to provide waterproof sealing.

[0029] The shell 30 is a three-dimensional molded body and includes a toe part 31 and a heel part 33 connected integrally with the toe part 31. A plurality of vent holes 32 are disposed at intervals in all parts of the shell 30 between the upper and bottom open ends. Each vent hole 32 has an integral screen member 321 which is formed integrally with the shell 30 and is meshed to provide ventilation.

[0030] The ventilating sheet 40 is made of a waterproof breathable membrane well known as Goretex and is provided across the vent holes 32 to cover the screen members 321 so that water or moisture is prevented from entering the interior of the shell 30 through the screen members 321 while ventilation is permitted through the screen members 321. The ventilating sheet 40 has an upper marginal end extending to the upper end of the shell 30 and a lower marginal end extending to the lower end of the shell 30. The ventilating sheet 40 is endless between the upper and lower marginal ends thereof and adhered to an inner surface of the shell 30. In adhering the ventilating sheet 40 to the shell 30, it is preferable that no adhesive is present between each screen member 321 and the ventilating sheet 40 in order to ensure effective ventilation.

[0031] In particular, the upper marginal end of the ventilating sheet 40 is stitched to the upper open end of the shell 30 and a lower end of the upper 10, thus forming a stitch seam 11. Alternatively, the upper marginal end of the ventilating sheet 40 may be first stitched to the shell 30 and the bottom end of the upper 10 may be subsequently stitched to both the ventilating sheet 40 and the shell 30. Also, it is possible to use an alternative method in which the upper 10 and the shell 30 are first stitched together and the ventilating sheet 40 is then adhered to the inner surface of the shell 30.

[0032] The waterproof sealing unit 50 includes upper and lower waterproof sealing members 51 and 52 which have a thickness of about 0.2 mm to 1 mm. The upper waterproof member 51 is attached to the lower end of the upper 10 and the upper open end of the shell 30 along the stitch seam 11 so as to prevent water from entering the shell 30 through the stitch seam 11. The lower marginal end of the ventilating sheet 40 is adhered to the inner surface of the lower open end of the shell 30. A seam 11A formed between the ventilating sheet 40 and the shell 30 is sealed by the waterproof member 52 which is attached via adhesive to the lower marginal end of the ventilating sheet 40 and to the lower open end of the shell 30 to effectively prevent water from entering the interior of the shell 30 through the seam 11A. Although the lower waterproof member 52 is not absolutely essential, it can improve the waterproofing effect at the bottom open end of the shell 30 when it is used. Instead of using the upper and lower waterproof members 51, 52, watertight sealing may be provided at the stitch seam 11 and at the seam 11A by applying thereto a waterproof adhesive.

[0033] The lining 60 is configured as a sock-like lining which is provided inside the upper 10 and the shell 30 in a conventional manner. The upper 10 is constructed via a conventional waterproofing process using waterproof adhesive or waterproof membranes, as so as to be waterproof.

[0034] As hereinbefore described, the waterproof shell 30 is provided with the vent holes 32 and screen members 321 for ventilation so that heat and perspiration vapors can be removed from the interior of the shell 30. While ventilation is permitted through the vent holes 32, the waterproof shell 30 still can prevent water from invading the shell 30 due to the presence of the ventilating sheet 40 which is breathable but is waterproof. On the other hand, the weight of the waterproof shell 30 can be reduced due to the presence of the vent holes 32 in the shell 30.

[0035] Referring to FIG. 4, a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it includes a shell 30A with a lower closed end unlike the shell 30 of the first embodiment which has the lower open end. The lower closed end of the shell 30A is attached directly to the outsole 21.

[0036] In FIG. 5, a third embodiment of the present invention is shown. As compared to the first embodiment, the difference of the third embodiment resides in a shell 70 which includes a toe part 71. This toe part 71 is formed separately from the remaining part of the shell 70 and is connected to the remaining part via a conventional mechanical process such as stitching or adhesive bonding. The toe part 71 is provided with vent holes 72 which are similar to the vent holes 32 described hereinbefore.

[0037] In FIG. 6, a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. As compared to the first embodiment, the difference of the fourth embodiment resides in a shell 80 which includes a heel part 81. The heel part 81 is formed separately from the remaining part of the shell 80 and is connected to the remaining part of the shell 80 via a conventional mechanical process. The heel part 81 is provided with vent holes 82 which are similar to the vent holes 32 described hereinbefore.

[0038] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown to include an upper 90, an outsole unit 100, a shell 110, a ventilating unit 120, and a waterproof sealing unit 130.

[0039] The shell 110 includes vent holes 111, and support bases 112 which are formed separately from the shell 110 and which have marginal ends attached to the shell 110 via stitching. Each support base 112 has screen members 1121 which are formed integrally therewith. The support bases 112 are fitted respectively in the vent holes 111 formed in the shell 110. Due to the screen members 1121, ventilation is permitted through the shell 110.

[0040] The ventilating unit 120 includes ventilating sheets 121 which are substantially similar to the ventilating sheet 40 except that each ventilating sheet 121 has marginal ends which are stitched to the shell 110 between the upper and lower ends of the shell 110 around the corresponding vent hole 111. In particular, the marginal ends of each support base 112 and of each ventilating sheet 121 are stitched to the shell 110 to form a stitch seam 113. Alternatively, the marginal ends of each support base 112 alone may be stitched to the shell 110, and the marginal ends of each ventilating sheet 121 may be bonded adhesively to the corresponding support base 112.

[0041] The waterproof sealing unit 130 includes waterproof sealing members 131 which are attached respectively to the inner surface of the shell 110 and to the stitch seam 113 to seal the stitch seam 113. Alternatively, the stitch seam 113 may be sealed in a water-tight manner by applying a waterproof adhesive to the stitch seam 113.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 9, a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown. This embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment in that a shell 140 of this embodiment is formed by assembling together a toe part 141A, a heel part 141B and two shank parts 141C (only one shank part is shown) via a stitching process. Each of the toe, heel and shank parts 141A, 141B and 141C have support bases 142 and screen members 1421 which are similar to the support bases 112 and the screen members 1121 of the fifth embodiment.

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a seventh embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein a shell 150 includes a shank part 170 which is formed separately from the remaining part of the shell 150 and which is connected to the remaining part of the shell 150 via a stitching process. The shank part 170 includes a plurality of screen members 172 for ventilation. The screen members 172 are formed integrally with the shank part 170 and are covered by a ventilating sheet 180. Numerals 190 and 200 represent waterproof sealing members.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, an eighth embodiment of the present invention is shown. Like the shell 30 of the first embodiment, a shell 220 of this embodiment is provided with vent holes 222. However this embodiment is different in that it includes a screen member which is formed as a meshed screen sheet 223. The screen sheet 223 is disposed at the inner surface of the shell 220 across the vent holes 222. A ventilating sheet 230 is disposed inwardly of the screen sheet 223 to cover the screen sheet 223. The upper marginal ends of the screen sheet 223 and the ventilating sheet 230 are stitched to the upper end of the shell 220 and a lower end of an upper 240. Adhesive may be used instead of stitching.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, a ninth embodiment of the present invention is shown. This embodiment differs from the fifth embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8) in that this embodiment includes screen members 260. Each screen member 260 is mounted on a metallic hollow stud 261 which is fitted in each vent hole 262 of a shell 263. A ventilating sheet 264 is attached to the shell 263 to cover each screen member 260.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 16, 17 and 18, a tenth embodiment of the present invention includes a shell 300 which is composed of a layer of textile material 302 and a layer of resinous molding material 301 which is molded over the textile material 302. During the molding of the resinous molding material 301, vent holes 303 are provided in the resinous molding material 301 without extending the vent holes 303 through the textile material 302. Therefore, the textile material 302 extends across the vent holes 303 and serves as screen members 3021 for the vent holes 303. An injection molding process may be employed for molding the resinous molding material 301 over the textile material 302. Since the textile material 302 is porous, it permits ventilation through the vent holes 303. This embodiment differs from the ninth embodiment in that the screen members 3021 are connected integrally with the shell 300 during the molding of the resinous molding material 301 of the shell 300. Note that the textile material 302 maybe an inner layer which is disposed inwardly of the layer of resinous molding material 301 as shown in FIG. 17, or an outer layer which is disposed outwardly of the layer of resinous molding material 301 as shown in FIG. 18.

[0047] 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 shoe comprising:

a sole unit;

a shell made of a waterproof material and including an upper end, a lower end, and a toe part and a heel part which are interconnected between said upper and lower ends, said lower end being connected to said sole unit, said shell further having at least one vent hole provided in said shell between said upper and lower ends;

a screen member disposed across said vent hole and being porous to provide ventilation; and

a ventilating sheet disposed inwardly of said screen member and attached to said shell to line said screen member, said ventilating sheet being made of a waterproof breathable membrane and being connected in a watertight manner to said shell around said vent hole.

2. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell has a plurality of said vent holes provided at intervals in all parts of said shell between said upper and lower ends of said shell.

3. The shoe as claimed in claim 2, wherein said ventilating sheet has an upper marginal end extending to said upper end of said shell and a lower marginal end extending to said lower end of said shell, said ventilating sheet being endless between said upper and lower marginal ends, said upper and lower marginal ends being attached sealingly to said upper and lower ends of said shell, thus forming seams at said upper and lower marginal ends.

4. The shoe as claimed in claim 3, further comprising waterproof sealing members provided respectively along said seams.

5. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of said vent holes are provided in a portion of said shell, said ventilating sheet having marginal ends attached sealingly to said portion of said shell around all of said vent holes.

6. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screen member is formed as one piece with at least one portion of said shell.

7. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a support base which is formed separately from said shell and which is attached to an inner surface of said shell, said screen member being formed integrally with said support base, said support base being fitted within said vent hole.

8. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said screen member is formed as a meshed screen sheet which is formed separately from said shell and which is attached to an inner surface of said shell to cover said vent hole.

9. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell includes a layer of textile material and a layer of resinous molding material which is molded over said layer of textile material, said vent hole being provided in said layer of resinous molding material without extending through said layer of textile material, said layer of textile material having a portion extending across said vent hole to serve as said screen member.

10. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said ventilating sheet and said shell have therebetween a watertight seam which extends around said vent hole, said ventilating sheet having a marginal end that extends along said watertight seam.

11. The shoe as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a waterproof sealing member provided along said watertight seam.