SHOE UPPER WITH UPPER LINING
A shoe upper may include an upper lining. The upper lining may include two edge sections and a seam located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area. The seam may connect the two edge sections.
This application is related to and claims priority benefits from German Patent Application No. 102019214903.0, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, entitled SHOE UPPER WITH UPPER LINING (“the '903 application”). The '903 application is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a shoe upper including an upper lining and a method of manufacturing the shoe upper.
BACKGROUNDIn the manufacture of footwear, it is currently particularly popular to have a “sock-fit” footwear. This may mean there is no separate tongue construction in the upper of the shoe over the instep of the wearer. Shoes of this kind are put on and taken off similar to a sock, which enables a high wearing comfort by the adaptation of the soft textile material to the foot. This is only practical if the material of the upper allows some stretch so that the user may pull it over their foot and still have some compression for support during use.
For trail running, hiking, climbing, or mountaineering shoes in particular, it is further desirable to have waterproof protection in footwear. This may be achieved with coatings on the outside of the upper material. Alternatively, this may be achieved with waterproof lining materials positioned on the inner side of the upper material. A benefit of a waterproof lining is that it may be subject to less abrasion over time during use, so it may be less likely to be damaged.
An example of a shoe with waterproof lining is described in US Patent Application Publication 2008/0016717 A1, which relates to an article of footwear including an outer sole on which an outer upper is mounted, the upper including several pieces assembled together by stitching. The pieces of the upper are made of breathable-waterproof material. The upper includes a three-layered laminated material including a breathable-waterproof membrane, sandwiched between an inner lining fabric and an outer envelope fabric.
A downside of this construction is that the lining usually does not provide full coverage across the whole area of the foot. The lining might not extend all the way up to the collar of the shoe, because a padded material is being used instead. The lining might not extend under the wearer's foot because the upper is usually attached at the sides of the foot to a strobel board and does not extend across the strobel board. Areas of the shoe not covered by the waterproof lining may allow water to enter the shoe. Additionally, the stich lines where the waterproof lining is attached to other materials or where various pieces of the upper are stitched together may cause discomfort to the wearer.
A better solution for this problem would be a waterproof sock-construction to be fitted inside of a shoe. This sock-construction may be glued or stitched to the insole or strobel board of the shoe. The sock-construction provides complete coverage of the wearer's foot to prevent leaking into the shoe. One example of this sock-construction is a circular-knitted sock as disclosed, for example, in document CN108391890 A, which relates to a making method of a three-layer seamless composite waterproof shoe. The making method sequentially includes the following steps: weaving an integral structure including a first sock portion and a second sock portion on a single-needle-bed hosiery machine through one-time forming; enabling a foot-shaped die to penetrate the inside of the first sock portion from a front opening of the first sock portion to sleeve into the second sock portion; sleeving a seamless sock-shaped waterproof moisture-permeable PU film outside the second sock portion; backwards turning the first sock portion; stitching the front opening of the first sock portion; heating to set a three-layer-structure sock; sleeving a shoe tree to form an integral three-layer seamless composite vamp; and combining the three-layer-structure sock or the vamp with a sole.
However, this is a complex construction to achieve and therefore the sock-construction itself becomes labour intensive and thus very expensive.
It would be beneficial, to find a waterproof upper construction which on the one hand covers essentially the whole foot of the user without uncomfortable seams and on the other hand provides a cost-effective and simpler production than circular-knitted waterproof sock-constructions.
SUMMARYThe terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various embodiments of the invention and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings, and each claim.
According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a shoe upper may include an upper lining. The upper lining may include two edge sections and a seam located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area. The seam may connect the two edge sections. The shoe upper lining may include a knitted or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
In some embodiments, the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper. The seam may be spaced at least 2 cm from a central back part of the heel area. The seam may be spaced at least 0.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
In some embodiments, the upper lining includes a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer. The waterproof membrane layer may be arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be adapted to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may completely surround a wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be stretchable.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be formed out of a flat-sheet. The two edge sections may be located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method of manufacturing a shoe upper is provided. The shoe upper may include an upper lining. The method can include providing the upper lining. The upper lining can include two edge sections. The method can further include connecting the two edge sections with a seam. The seam may be located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area.
In some embodiments, the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
The seam may be spaced at least 2 cm from a central back part of the heel area. The seam may be spaced at least 0.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
In some embodiments, the upper lining includes a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
In some embodiments, the upper lining includes a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer. The waterproof membrane layer may be arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
In some embodiments, the method can further include adapting the upper lining to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
In some embodiments, the upper lining completely surrounds a wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, the upper lining is stretchable.
In some embodiments, the upper lining is formed out of a flat-sheet.
In some embodiments, the two edge sections are located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
In the following detailed description, embodiments of the invention are described referring to the following figures.
In some embodiments, a shoe upper may be provided including an upper lining, wherein the upper lining includes two edge sections. The upper lining may further include a seam located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area, wherein the seam connects the two edge sections.
An improved upper for a shoe may therefore be provided, in which the seam to connect the two edge sections of the upper lining may not cover an area of the wearer's foot that experiences a lot of friction, such as, for example, a central heel region of the upper. Thus, the risk of injuries such as blisters may be significantly lowered. In addition, an improved location of the seam may contribute to an increased comfort of the wearer of the shoe.
In some embodiments, the seam may run essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper. In this manner, by connecting the two edge sections in a straight line, the length of the seam may be reduced to a minimum. The connecting may be, for example, conducted by stitching, gluing, or similar techniques. In addition, as the shortest distance across the height of the shoe upper is in a vertical direction, the length of the seam may be as short as possible. The term “essentially vertically” as used herein may be understood in the sense that small variations in the order of, for example, 10° from a fully vertical direction are also applicable.
In some embodiments, the seam may be spaced at least 2 cm (or at least 4 cm or at least 6 cm) from a central back part of the heel area. It is known that a high percentage of blisters are due to friction between a wearer's foot and an upper of a shoe in a central heel region. By introducing a distance between the seam and the central back part of the heel area, the risk of blisters from a shoe may be significantly reduced.
In some embodiments, the seam may be spaced at least 0.5 cm (or at least 1.0 cm or at least 1.5 cm) from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis. In this manner, the seam may be positioned slightly in front or slightly behind the main bone parts of an ankle of the wearer's foot, which may reduce the risk of injuries at areas of the ankle prone to high friction.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may include a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer. By combining the pleasant wearing comfort of a textile layer and a water resistance of the membrane layer, an improved and optimized material for manufacturing a shoe upper may be provided.
Alternatively or in addition, the upper lining may include a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer, wherein the waterproof membrane layer may be arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer. In this manner, the waterproof membrane layer may be protected by the top textile layer from external factors such as, for example, abrasion, wear and tear, or direct solar irradiation. This may prolong the lifetime of the shoe and particularly its water-resistant characteristic. Moreover, manufacturing a shoe upper with an external textile layer may expand the shape and color design, as those options are very limited for treating the waterproof membrane. In addition, as the waterproof membrane in direct contact with a wearer's foot would most likely result in an uncomfortable experience, the bottom textile layer may provide a soft and cozy internal layer.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be adapted to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper. It is known that attaching a waterproof upper without a sole area to a waterproof mid- or outsole, may result in a water-permeable edge at the interface. Therefore, by providing the waterproof upper lining from the sole area up until the collar area, water may be prevented from penetrating inside the shoe upper, in particular at the interface between the upper and a sole of the shoe. Moreover, spray or splash water may be prevented from penetrating inside the upper from a side of the shoe.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may completely surround a wearer's foot. In this manner, both a comfortable cushion and a water resistance of the entire shoe may be provided by covering the whole foot of the wearer of the shoe. In addition, this waterproof construction may have a low or no risk of water penetration, as the only opening into the upper is from a top side, for the most part covered by the wearer's foot.
In some embodiments the upper lining may be stretchable. The combination of a waterproof lining material that also allows some stretch is unique. Therefore, the upper lining may combine a stretch suitable for a sock-fit shoe with waterproof properties suitable for an outdoor shoe, resulting in a versatile shoe upper construction. The term “stretchable” as used herein may be understood as a material property which allows the material to recover its initial dimensions after being elongated by an external force. The stretchable upper lining may provide a shoe upper sufficiently contracting around a wearer's foot after slipping into the shoe, so that additional tightening by, for example, shoe laces may be omitted. The contracting around a wearer's foot may not provide any discomfort to the wearer.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be formed out of a flat-sheet. This construction may, in contrast to a circular knit construction, provide a cost-effective and simpler solution of manufacturing a waterproof upper for a shoe.
In addition, the two edge sections may be located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet. This may allow for a high level of flexibility in arranging various cutting patterns on a panel of upper lining material. As a result, a lower percentage of waste material may be achieved. Furthermore, the high level of flexibility may also provide an upper lining construction suitable for a variety of different upper models and/or different kinds of fields of application.
In another aspect, provided is a method of manufacturing a shoe upper including an upper lining. The method may include providing the upper lining including two edge sections and connecting the two edge sections with a seam, wherein the seam is located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area.
Various benefits, as discussed above with regard to embodiments of a shoe upper, may also apply analogously to embodiments of a method of manufacturing the shoe upper and are not repeated here for reasons of brevity.
In some embodiments, the seam may run essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
In some embodiments, the seam may be spaced at least 2 cm (or at least 4 cm or at least 6 cm) from a central back part of the heel area.
In some embodiments, the seam may be spaced at least 0.5 cm (or at least 1.0 cm or at least 1.5 cm) from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may include a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may include a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer and the waterproof membrane layer may be arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
In some embodiments, the method may further include adapting the upper lining to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may completely surround a wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be stretchable.
In some embodiments, the upper lining may be formed out of a flat-sheet. In addition, the two edge sections may be located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.
In the following, exemplary embodiments are described in more detail with reference to a shoe upper including an upper lining. While specific feature combinations are described in the following with respect to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to such embodiments. In particular, not all features have to be present for realizing the invention, and the embodiments may be modified by combining certain features of one embodiment with at least one feature of another embodiment.
The cut pattern 100 of the upper lining includes two edge sections 130. In the final shoe upper, the two edge sections 130 are connected by a seam to bring the flat cut pattern 100 into a three-dimensional shape, similar to a final shape of the shoe upper. In the three-dimensional shape, the seam is located in a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in the heel area 120. The seam further runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper in its final shape to keep a length of the seam as short as possible. The seam to connect the two edge sections 130 is spaced from a central back part 125 of the heel area 120. In addition, this seam may also be spaced from a malleolus lateralis and a malleolus medialis. In this manner, the final lining in the shoe upper does not have a seam in an area of the shoe that experiences a lot of friction. Thus, a shoe upper may be provided with a lower risk of blisters in the central back part 125 of the heel area 120. The shoe upper may further provide an increased comfort to a wearer of the shoe.
The cut pattern 100 further includes dart marks 140 in a toe area and dart marks 145 in the heel area 120. Darts at the marked positions may be beneficial for creating the curvature of the final shape of the upper. It may be noted that these darts may be predominantly covered by an insole in an assembled shoe so the wearer may not feel the seams.
The cut pattern 100 may include separate parts of the main upper area 110 and the heel area 120 connected at two edge sections with a seam at the interface 135 of both parts, in accordance with some embodiments. The cut pattern 100 may also include only one part, wherein the main upper area 110 and the heel area 120 are not cut as separate parts from a flat sheet, thus omitting the seam at the interface 135 in accordance with some embodiments.
The cut pattern 200 of upper lining includes no tongue area. In this manner, the cut pattern 200 may be applicable to a non-sock-fit shoe. The non-sock-fit shoe may include a tongue area from the same or a different material. Furthermore, laces or Velcro may be used, to fasten the non-sock-fit shoe in order to ensure a secure fit on the wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, the cut pattern 200 may include only two separate parts including only one side seam 235 or 236, respectively to connect two edge sections. In some embodiments, the cut pattern 200 may include only one part with no side seam 235 and 236 to connect two edge sections.
In the following, further examples are described to facilitate the understanding of the invention:
Example 1. A shoe upper comprising an upper lining (300), wherein the upper lining comprises:
two edge sections (130);
a seam (235, 236, 335) located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area (120, 220, 320),
wherein the seam connects the two edge sections.
Example 2. The shoe upper according to example 1, wherein the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
Example 3. The shoe upper according to example 1 or 2, wherein the seam is spaced at least 2 cm, preferably at least 4 cm and more preferably at least 6 cm from a central back part (125, 225, 325) of the heel area.
Example 4. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 3, wherein the seam is spaced at least 0.5 cm, preferably at least 1.0 cm and more preferably at least 1.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
Example 5. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 4, wherein the upper lining comprises a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
Example 6. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 5, wherein the upper lining comprises a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer; and wherein the waterproof membrane layer is arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
Example 7. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 6, wherein the upper lining is adapted to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
Example 8. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 7, wherein the upper lining completely surrounds a wearer's foot (350).
Example 9. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 8, wherein the upper lining is stretchable.
Example 10. The shoe upper according to one of examples 1 to 9, wherein the upper lining is formed out of a flat-sheet.
Example 11. The shoe upper according to example 10, wherein the two edge sections are located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
Example 12. A method of manufacturing a shoe upper comprising an upper lining (300), the method comprises:
providing the upper lining comprising two edge sections (130);
connecting the two edge sections with a seam (235, 236, 335),
wherein the seam is located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area (120, 220, 320).
Example 13. The method according to example 12, wherein the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
Example 14. The method according to example 12 or 13, wherein the seam is spaced at least 2 cm, preferably at least 4 cm and more preferably at least 6 cm from a central back part (125, 225, 325) of the heel area.
Example 15. The method according to one of examples 12 to 14, wherein the seam is spaced at least 0.5 cm, preferably at least 1.0 cm and more preferably at least 1.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
Example 16. The method according to one of examples 12 to 15, wherein the upper lining comprises a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
Example 17. The method according to one of examples 12 to 16, wherein the upper lining comprises a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer; and wherein the waterproof membrane layer is arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
Example 18. The method according to one of examples 12 to 17, the method further comprising, adapting the upper lining to cover a sole of a wearer's foot (350) and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
Example 19. The method according to one of examples 12 to 18, wherein the upper lining completely surrounds a wearer's foot.
Example 20. The method according to one of examples 12 to 19, wherein the upper lining is stretchable.
Example 21. The method according to one of examples 12 to 20, wherein the upper lining is formed out of a flat-sheet.
Example 22. The method according to example 21, wherein the two edge sections are located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and sub-combinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.
Claims
1. A shoe upper comprising an upper lining, wherein the upper lining comprises:
- two edge sections;
- a seam located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area,
- wherein the seam connects the two edge sections, and
- wherein the shoe upper lining comprises a knitted or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
2. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
3. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the seam is spaced at least 2 cm from a central back part of the heel area.
4. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the seam is spaced at least 0.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
5. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper lining comprises a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer; and
- wherein the waterproof membrane layer is arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
6. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper lining is adapted to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
7. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper lining completely surrounds a wearer's foot.
8. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper lining is stretchable.
9. The shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein the upper lining is formed out of a flat-sheet.
10. The shoe upper according to claim 9, wherein the two edge sections are located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
11. A method of manufacturing a shoe upper comprising an upper lining, the method comprises:
- providing the upper lining, the upper lining comprising two edge sections;
- connecting the two edge sections with a seam,
- wherein the seam is located at a medial and/or lateral side of the shoe upper in a heel area.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the seam runs essentially vertically along a majority of a height of the shoe upper.
13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the seam is spaced at least 2 cm from a central back part of the heel area.
14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the seam is spaced at least 0.5 cm from a malleolus lateralis and/or a malleolus medialis.
15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upper lining comprises a knit or woven textile layer and a waterproof membrane layer.
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upper lining comprises a top and a bottom knit or woven textile layer; and
- wherein the waterproof membrane layer is arranged in between the top and bottom knit or woven textile layer.
17. The method according to claim 11, the method further comprising, adapting the upper lining to cover a sole of a wearer's foot and to extend from a sole area of the shoe upper up to a collar area of the shoe upper.
18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upper lining completely surrounds a wearer's foot.
19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upper lining is stretchable.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the upper lining is formed out of a flat-sheet.
21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the two edge sections are located on two separate flat-sheets or on the same flat-sheet.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 24, 2020
Publication Date: Apr 1, 2021
Inventors: Georg Trost (Scheinfeld), Falk Zielisch (Herzogenaurach)
Application Number: 17/030,761
