Waterproof footwear and the manufacturing method

Abstract

A waterproof footwear, comprises a lining made of multiple layers of breathable and waterproof materials, an injected upper with mesh structure, and a sole. The mesh structure has plurality of holes to pass the air and vapor from the lining, and reduce the weight of the footwear.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to waterproof footwear. More particularly, the footwear comprises a lining, and injected upper with mesh structure.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Waterproof footwear, such as rain boots, wader, etc. is used to isolate feet from water to keep the feet dry. Usually the waterproof footwear is made in boot style, with elongated shaft. The upper and sole are made of waterproof materials such as rubber and plastic, and are sealed in one piece. This design will keep the feet dry when walking in a depth of water, but it also makes the boots heavy. Also, the waterproof material not just isolates the water but air and vapor, therefore the feet will feel uncomfortable after a long time of wearing.

Considering all these disadvantages mentioned above, it would be desirable to provide a waterproof footwear which is light and breathable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to develop a method of manufacturing waterproof footwear which is light, breathable, and comfortable to wear.

A waterproof footwear comprises a breathable waterproof lining, a supporting upper with mesh structure, and a sole.

A method of manufacturing waterproof footwear comprising steps of:

sewing a lining with breathable waterproof materials according to a last;

applying the lining on the last;

forming a supporting upper over the lining applied on the last by injection; and

forming a sole attaching to the supporting upper.

For a more complete understanding of the present invention with its objectives and distinctive features and advantages, reference is now made to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a waterproof footwear according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a waterproof footwear according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of the waterproof footwear according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the waterproof footwear according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, FIGS. 1 to 4 depict the waterproof footwear as a presently embodiment. Referring to FIG. 1, The waterproof footwear 10 comprises a breathable waterproof lining 20, a supporting upper with mesh structure 30, and a sole 40. The lining 20 is inside the supporting upper and attached to it. The sole 40 is bounded with the supporting upper 30 at the bottom.

The lining 20 is made of multiple layers of materials. Referring to FIG. 3, from inside to outside, it comprises a layer of flexible textile 21, and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane 22. The material of the breathable waterproof membrane could be but not limited to Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), Polyurethane (PU), Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), leather, and leatheroid. Preferably, the thickness of the TPU, PU, or ePTFE membrane is 0.01 mm to 0.03 mm; the thickness of the leather or leatheroid membrane is 0.03 mm to 1.2 mm.

The supporting upper 30 is formed outside the lining as a thin layer. Preferably, it is formed in one piece and is made of TPU, PVC, TPR, or TPE, alternatively, it is made of polyurethane or rubber.

The supporting upper defines the shape and contour of the footwear with a predetermined thickness. Referring to FIG. 1, in some portion of the supporting upper such as vamp and quarter, it comprises a mesh structure 31. The mesh structure 31 has plurality of through holes 32. The mesh structure 31 provides enough strength to support the upper of the footwear, meanwhile, the air and vapor is able to pass through the holes 32. Also the mesh structure 31 makes the footwear softer and more flexible to wear, and the weight of the upper is reduced. The mesh structure 31 and the holes 32 can be designed in different shapes and sizes for waterproof and aesthetic purposes.

In some porting of footwear, such as the edge, toe cap and heel counter, the supporting upper comprises reinforcement pattern 33 which is thicker to increase the strength of the footwear. This area has no mesh structure.

Referring to FIG. 2, in an alternative embodiment, the footwear also comprises a upper cover 50. The upper cover covers the outer surface of the supporting upper. The upper cover is made of multiple layers of materials and comprises at least a layer of breathable waterproof membrane and a layer of flexible textile. Referring to FIG. 4, from inside to outside, it comprises a layer of breathable waterproof membrane 51, a layer of flexible textile 52, an another layer of breathable waterproof membrane 53. The upper cover 50 may also comprises another layer of textile to protect the breathable waterproof membrane 53. The layer of breathable waterproof membrane 53 or the textile to protect the membrane 53 can be painted for decoration.

The footwear 10 may also comprises a reinforcement structure 60 In some portion, such as the edge, toe cap and heel counter. The reinforcement layer 60 can be formed with the sole to cover a portion of the upper cover 50 to increase the strength of the footwear.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing waterproof footwear comprises the following steps:

(1) the lining material is cut and sewn to form a lining according to a last. The lining material comprises at least a layer of flexible textile, and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane. The last has a predetermined size and shape to simulate human foot.

(2) the lining is applied onto the last.

(3) the supporting upper is formed over the lining by injection molding. A mold is made according to the design of the waterproof footwear, then the last with the lining is put into the mold for injection. It is worth mentioning, the mold is designed to form mesh structure on portion of the supporting upper directly, such as the vamp and the quarter, therefore the air and vapor can pass through the holes on the mesh structure from the lining. Also some portion, such as the edge, toe cap and heel counter, is reinforced by forming the area thicker.

(4) then the sole is formed and attached to the bottom of the supporting upper.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing waterproof footwear comprises the following steps:

(1) the lining material is cut and sewn to form a lining according to a last. The lining material comprises at least a layer of flexible textile, and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane, the flexible textile is in inside. The last has a predetermined size and shape to simulate human foot.

(2) the lining is applied onto the last.

(3) the supporting upper is formed over the lining by injection molding. A mold is made according to the design of the waterproof footwear, then the last with the lining is put into the mold for injection. It is worth mentioning, the mold may be designed to form the whole supporting upper or most area with mesh structure, and the thickness may be the same.

(4) the upper cover material is cut and sewn to form an upper cover according to the supporting upper. The upper cover material comprises at least a layer of breathable waterproof membrane, and a layer of flexible textile, the breathable waterproof membrane is in inside. The outside of the upper cover can be painted for decoration.

(5) the upper cover is applied to the outside of the supporting upper.

(6) then the supporting upper with the upper cover is placed in another mold to form the sole and reinforcement structure onto it by injection molding. The reinforcement structure is a solid piece to cover some portion of the upper such as the edge, toe cap and heel counter, to make the area strength, and to combine the sole and upper together.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of manufacturing waterproof footwear comprises the following steps:

(1) the lining material is cut and sewn to form a lining. The lining material comprises at least a layer of flexible textile, and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane.

(2) the supporting upper and the sole are formed by injection molding. A mold is made according to the design of the waterproof footwear, then the last is put into the mold for injection. It is worth mentioning, the mold is designed to form mesh structure on portion of the supporting upper directly, such as the vamp and the quarter, therefore the air and vapor can pass through the holes on the mesh structure from the lining. Also some portion, such as the edge, toe cap and heel counter, is reinforced by making the area thicker.

(3) the lining is inserted into to supporting upper, and the collar of the lining and the supporting upper are sealed together.

In an alternative embodiment, a wader can be manufactured with similar method. A wader comprises a waterproof boots and a waterproof pants. The method of manufacturing a wader comprises steps of:

(1) sew the pants and the lining of the boots together.

(2) apply the lining on a last.

(3) form the upper and the sole over the lining. The methods describe above can be used in this step.

(4) seal the collar of the boots with the pants.

While the embodiments and alternatives of the invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A waterproof footwear, comprising:

a breathable waterproof lining comprises at least a layer of flexible textile and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane;

a supporting upper with mesh structure covering said breathable waterproof lining, wherein said mesh structure has plurality of holes to let air and vapor pass through; and

a sole attached to the bottom of said supporting upper.

2. The waterproof footwear of claim 1, wherein said supporting upper is formed by injection molding.

3. The waterproof footwear of claim 2, wherein the breathable waterproof membrane is made of TPU, PU, or ePTFE.

4. The waterproof footwear of claim 3, further comprises an upper cover covering the outer surface of said supporting upper, wherein said upper cover comprises at least a layer of breathable waterproof membrane and a layer of flexible textile.

5. The waterproof footwear of claim 4, wherein the outer surface of said upper cover is painted.

6. The waterproof footwear of claim 5, further comprises a reinforcement structure coving portion of said upper cover to increase the strength thereof.

7. A method of manufacturing waterproof footwear, comprising:

(a) cutting and sewing a lining comprising at a layer of flexible textile and a layer of breathable waterproof membrane according to the shape and size of a last;

(b) applying said lining on said last;

(c) forming a supporting upper over the lining applied on the last by injection molding; and

(d) forming a sole attached to said supporting upper.

8. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 7, wherein in step (c), a mesh structure with a plurality of holes is formed.

9. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 8, wherein in step (c), a predetermined portion is formed thicker to increase the strength.

10. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 8, wherein further comprises steps of:

(a1) cutting and sewing a upper cover comprising at least a layer of breathable waterproof membrane and a layer of flexible textile according to the shape and size of the supporting upper;

(c1) applying the upper cover to cover the supporting upper;

(c2) forming reinforcement structure over the upper cover by injection molding.

11. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 10, wherein further comprises steps of:

(a2) painting the outside of the upper cover for decoration.

12. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 7, wherein further comprises steps of:

(a3) sewing a waterproof pants with the lining.

14. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 9, wherein further comprises steps of:

(a3) sewing a waterproof pants with the lining.

15. The method of manufacturing waterproof footwear of claim 11, wherein further comprises steps of:

(a3) sewing a waterproof pants with the lining.