EP1645202A1

EP1645202A1 - Liner structure for shoes

Info

Publication number: EP1645202A1
Application number: EP04023695A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Cherng-Shian Luan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-10-05
Filing date: 2004-10-05
Publication date: 2006-04-12

Abstract

A liner structure for shoes to keep foot at a comfortable temperature includes a bag body and a heat storage material. The bag body is produced by combining an upper film and a bottom film and sealing the edges thereof to form a storage space between two films for containing the heat storage material. The storage space is then separated into a plurality of cells by forming a plurality of space divisions using a high-frequency hot pressing machine. The liner structure can be used for a vamp and/or an insole, heat dissipated by feet can be used for corresponding heat-storing and heat-dissipating processes, so that the functions of cooling and warm-keeping can be achieved.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a liner structure for shoes to keep foot warm or cool in different ways, and more particularly, to a liner structure used in a vamp or an insole of a shoe to keep foot at a comfortable temperature by appropriately storing or dissipating heat.
Most recently manufactured shoe liners are focused on improvements of drying or air permeable effects; however, a shoe liner usually blankets inner side of a shoe and closely wraps feet so that temperature inside increases, especially in summer. High temperature inside the shoe makes the foot sweats and the sweat cannot be removed properly so that bacteria are easily to breed, which cause many foot diseases such as Athlete's Foot. Therefore, the way to eliminate foot sweating and keep foot dry and cool has become an important topic in shoe industry.
Some manufactures provide a shoe containing air bags in the bottom so that air can ventilate inside the shoe via the air bags to be pressed during walking. This design improves ventilating efficiency of the shoe; however, bottom cushion above the air bags without enough number of holes will severely limit air flow to reduce the effect provided by the air bags. Moreover, the holes on the cushion which do not align with the air outlets of air bags also limit the air flow. Furthermore, single orifice design for the air outlets is easily introduced water instead of drawing air.
In another aspect, some people may have cold feet or hands in winter and raining season, but it does not greatly help to keep them warm by changing texture of the footwear insole or vamp due to feet themselves are cold and texture cannot provide heat so that temperature inside the shoe is hard to increase. Therefore, some manufactures install an electrical heating layer between foot and the bottom cushion. The heating layer connects to a controller which is coupled to a control circuit and a battery so as to warm up foot. However, this solution direct to the need of people lived in cold weather, thus the functionality is limited since for people living in sub-tropical and tropical areas will never need it. Moreover, the electrical heating layers are powered by batteries, and batteries can only provide power for several hours. Not only replacing batteries frequently is annoying, but also used batteries are harmful to the environment.
Thus, the inventor proposes this invention based on the drawbacks aforementioned and his experience in the industry. It is believed that this invention comprises applicable designs and can solve the drawbacks efficiently.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a liner structure for shoes to keep feet warm or cool in different ways. The liner structure is formed inside shoes to cover around interior surface and/or bottom cushion thereof, which can keep feet at a comfortable temperature by appropriately storing or dissipating heat
Accordingly, the liner structure for shoes includes a bag body and a heat storage material. The bag body includes an upper film and a bottom film sealed at the edges thereof to provide a storage space between two films. The heat storage material is contained in the storage space. Thereafter, a plurality of space divisions are set up by a high frequency hot pressing machine to form to a plurality of cells within the storage space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above objects and advantages of the present invention will be become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a liner structure for shoes according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liner structure for shoes in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a footwear insole including the liner structure of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the footwear insole in Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a schematic view of an interior surface of a shoe including the liner structure of the present invention; and
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a footwear insole including the liner structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of first embodiment of the present invention are shown, respectively. The present invention is to provide a liner structure for shoes to keep foot warm or cool in different demand. The liner structure 1 includes a bag body 10 and a heat storage material 20.
The bag body 10 includes an upper film 11 and a bottom film 12 sealed at the edges thereof to provide a storage space 13 formed therebetween. A plurality of space divisions 14 are set up to separate the storage space 13 into a plurality of cells 15. These cells 15 can be connected to each other or isolated. In this embodiment, each cell 15 is isolated. Moreover, the space divisions 14 can be arranged in parallel to each other at a transversal, longitudinal, or tilted direction. In this embodiment, both transversal and longitudinal divisions 14 are crossed.
The heat storage material 20 is contained in the bag body 10, having a transforming temperature, such as a melting point between 15 to 45 degree centigrade. The heat storage material 20 can be chosen from organic material such as paraffin wax, butyl stearate, propyl palmitate, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, capric acid or a mixture of two or more above-mentioned organic material, or inorganic material such as potassium fluoride hydrate, calcium chloride hydrate, sodium sulphate hydrate, sodium phosphate hydrate, zinc nitrate hydrate, lithium nitrate hydrate, sodium carbonate hydrate or a mixture of two or more above-mentioned inorganic material, or the mixture of organic and inorganic material.
The method to manufacture the liner structure of the present invention includes stacking the upper film 11 and bottom film 12 together, and locating two films 12 in a high-frequency hot pressing machine to seal the edges except leaving one opening. Then, after appropriate amount of heat storage material 20 is placed into the storage space 13 formed between the upper film 11 and bottom film 12, the opening is closed. Following, the liner structure 1 is again located in the high-frequency hot pressing machine to form a plurality of space divisions 14 within the storage space 13 so that a plurality of cells 15 are obtained. Since the cells 15 are isolated, congregation of moving heat storage material due to different location can be reduced. Moreover, small and local breakage of the bag body 10 will not result in major leakage of the heat storage material 20.
Referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the liner structure 1 can be used in a footwear insole 3. The footwear insole 3 includes an upper layer 31 and a bottom layer 32. The upper layer 31 is made of material with good air permeability, such as cloth, leather or artificial leather. The bottom layer 32 can be made of PU (Polyurethane), lactoprene or EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), which is adhered to and below the upper layer 31 by means of resin adhering or injection foaming. In this embodiment, upper layer 31 is placed in a lower die and the liner structure 1 is placed on the upper layer 31, then an upper die closed on the lower die. Thereafter, for example, PU material for manufacturing the bottom layer 32 is injected into two engaged dies to form the foamed bottom layer 32 covering the liner structure 1 and combined with the upper layer 31 so that an integrally insole is obtained.
Referring to Fig. 5, the liner structure 1 can be used in an interior surface of the vamp 4 where the vamp 4 comprises a face layer 41 and a lining 42. The liner structure 1 of the present invention can be fixed by two lateral sides of the vamp 4 above the lining 42 by means of resin adhering, high temperature melting or sewing. The face layer 41 then blankets the lining 42 so as to make the liner structure 1 fixed between the face layer 41 and lining 42 and just above an instep of human foot.
Referring to Fig. 6, the peripheral shape of the liner structure 1 is similar to that of the footwear insole 3, and a plurality of tilted and crossing space divisions 14 is located between the upper film 11 and bottom film 12. A plurality of cells 15 are also formed so as to distribute the heat storage material 20 uniformly in each of the isolated cell 15. A holding part 33 is provided in the bottom layer 32 of the footwear insole and shape of the holding part corresponds to that of the liner structure 1 so as to be accepted in the holding part 33. Then the upper layer 31 is adhered on the bottom layer 32 to provide another type of fabricated footwear insole according to the present invention.
When the footwear insole 3 is placed inside a shoe, the heat storage material 20 located corresponding to the location of a foot, is melted by absorbing heat Nevertheless, when the temperature of the foot decreases, the heat storage material dissipates heat and coagulates so that the foot can maintain at a comfortable temperature of.
The liner structure of the present invention at least comprises the following advantages: the liner structure can be installed in the footwear insole or inside the vamp, and perform heat absorbing/dissipating functions according to the temperature of the foot so that foot sweating in summer can be eliminated as well as providing adequate heat to the foot in winter. Moreover, the function is performed purely by physical characteristics of the heat storage material, therefore, no electricity is required.
The embodiments aforementioned are just for the purpose of illustration and not meant to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent alternation utilizing contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly/indirectly applying them in other related technical areas are still covered by the scope of present invention.
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art the various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A liner structure used for a predetermined portion of a shoe, comprising:
a bag body including an upper film, a bottom film and a storage space formed between the upper film and the bottom film; and

a heat storage material contained in the storage space, capable of keeping foot at a comfortable temperature by appropriately storing or dissipating heat.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion is a console.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the predetermined portion is a vamp.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the storage space includes a plurality of cells isolated by a plurality of space divisions formed by hot pressing.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the space divisions are arranged in parallel to each other at a transversal or longitudinal direction.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the space divisions are arranged by crossing to each other in a transversal and a longitudinal directions.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the heat storage material includes an organic material, an inorganic material or a mixture thereof.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the organic material is chosen from one or a mixture of two or more than two of paraffin wax, butyl stearate, propyl palmitate, lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, and capric acid.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the inorganic material is chosen from one or a mixture of two or more than two of potassium fluoride hydrate, calcium chloride hydrate, sodium sulphate hydrate, sodium phosphate hydrate, zinc nitrate hydrate, lithium nitrate hydrate, and sodium carbonate hydrate.
The liner structure as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the heat storage material has a transforming temperature between 15 to 45 degree centigrade.