Polyurethane injected boot assembly and associated manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9642416-B2
Application number	US-201514931785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 30, 2011
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A footwear assembly having an upper that comprises a neoprene sock with a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion. The foot portion has heel, vamp and under-foot portions. The leg portion has front shin, side wall, and rear calf-side portions. The upper has a unitary, outer, injection molded layer molded directly onto the foot and shin portions of the neoprene sock, while the sidewall and rear calf-side portions remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer. The injection molded layer encases the foot portion of the neoprene sock. The injection molded layer on the shin portion defines a shin guard portion having a necked down area integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the vamp portion, wherein the shin guard extends upwardly from the necked-down portion in an outwardly diverging shape away from the vamp.

First claim

We claim:

1. A footwear assembly, comprising:
an outsole; and
an upper connected to the outsole, the upper comprising—
a sock layer having—
a leg portion having a front shin portion, side wall portions and a rear calf-side portion; and
a foot portion integrally connected to the leg portion and having a vamp portion; and

a unitary outer injection molded layer molded over at least a portion of the sock layer, wherein the unitary outer injection molded layer comprises—
a first injection molded region over the foot portion of the sock layer, wherein the first injection molded region defines an integrated midsole portion between the sock layer and the outsole; and
a second injection molded region over at least a portion of the shin portion of the leg portion of the sock layer, wherein the sidewall portions and calf-side portion of the sock layer remain substantially uncovered by the second injection molded layer, and wherein the second injection molded layer includes a shin guard integrally connected to the vamp portion.

2. The footwear assembly of claim 1 wherein the foot portion has a heel portion and an underfoot portion, the first injection molded region fully covers the heel portion, vamp portion and the under-foot portion, and wherein the first injection molded region covering the under-foot portion is between the sock layer and the outsole.

3. The footwear assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a shank disposed between the sock layer and the outsole, wherein the first injection molded region is molded around the shank.

4. The footwear assembly of claim 1 wherein the upper further comprises at least one of a toe guard encapsulated by the first injection molded region, a metatarsal guard encapsulated in the first injection molded region, a puncture resistant insole disposed between a portion of the first injection molded region and the outsole, and a snake-guard layer coupled to the sock layer.

5. The footwear assembly of claim 1 wherein injection molded layer has a thickness of approximately 6.0 mm in the vamp portion and the shin guard.

6. The footwear assembly of claim 1 wherein the injection molded layer has a plurality of integral convertible channels of reduced thickness around the ankle portion, wherein the convertible channels define cut lines along which the upper may be cut during manufacture to define a selected height of the leg portion.

7. A lightweight, waterproof footwear assembly, comprising:
an outsole;
an upper connected to the outsole, the upper comprising—
a sock including a foot portion and a leg portion integrally connected to the foot portion, the leg portion having a front shin portion, side wall portions and a rear calf-side portion; and
a unitary outer injection molded layer molded over the foot portion of the sock and a first portion of the leg portion of the sock while second portions of the leg portion remain substantially uncovered by the outer injection molded layer and the unitary outer injection molded layer is connected to the outsole; and
wherein the injection molded layer covers the foot portion of the sock, and a portion of the injection molded layer extends under the foot portion and forms an integrated midsole portion attached to the outsole.

8. The footwear assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection molded layer is attached to the front shin portion and defines a shin guard integrally connected to the injection molded layer at the foot portion.

9. The footwear assembly of claim 7 wherein injection molded layer fully covers the foot portion of the sock.

10. The footwear assembly of claim 7 wherein the upper further comprises at least one of a toe guard encapsulated by the first injection molded region, a metatarsal guard encapsulated in the first injection molded region, a puncture resistant insole disposed between a portion of the first injection molded region and the outsole, and a snake-guard layer coupled to the sock layer.

11. The footwear assembly of claim 7 wherein the injection molded layer at the foot portion has a plurality of integral convertible channels of reduced thickness around the foot portion in a configuration conforming to a top edge of a boot, wherein the convertible channels define cut lines along which the upper can be cut during manufacture to define a top edge of a boot of a selected height.

12. A method of making a waterproof footwear assembly, comprising
enclosing a neoprene sock in an injection molding assembly, wherein the neoprene sock comprises an interior area and an exterior surface facing away from the interior area, the neoprene sock having a foot portion integrally connected to a leg portion, the foot portion having a heel portion, a vamp portion and an under-foot portion, the leg portion having a front shin portion, side wall portions and a rear calf-side portion;
injecting a flowable, injection moldable material into the molding assembly adjacent to the foot portion of the neoprene sock;
forming an injection molded layer of the injection moldable material over a portion of the exterior surface of the neoprene sock, wherein the injection molded layer covers the foot portion and the front shin portion, and wherein the sidewall portions and the rear calf-side portion remain substantially uncovered by the injection molded layer; and
molding the injection moldable material onto a portion of an outsole connecting the outsole to the neoprene sock, wherein an under-foot portion of the injection moldable material interconnects the neoprene sock to the outsole.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the molding assembly has a last onto which the neoprene sock is removably attached, and the molding assembly has an enclosure portion with a necked down portion adjacent to the shin portion and the vamp portion of the neoprene sock, and wherein forming the injection molded layer includes injecting the injection moldable material into the enclosure portion adjacent to the foot portion of the neoprene sock and flowing the injection moldable material through the necked down portion and onto the shin guard portion to form in a single injection process that integrally forms the shin guard portion integral with the injection molded layer covering the vamp portion.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein forming the injection molded layer includes forming a plurality of convertible channels in the injection molded layers, wherein the convertible channels defining a plurality of cutting regions at different heights around the upper.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising cutting the upper along a selected one of the convertible channels to reduce the height of the upper to form a shorter footwear assembly.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein cutting the upper along the selected one of the convertible channels provides a raw top edge of the upper, the method further comprising finishing the raw top edge.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein forming an injection molded layer of the injection moldable material includes pressing a portion of the mold assembly directly against an exterior surface of the neoprene sock and preventing the injection moldable materials from extending onto portions of the neoprene sock that are to remain uncovered and exposed.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein injecting the flowable, injection moldable material into the molding assembly includes injecting flowable polyurethane material into the molding assembly.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising allowing the flowable, injection moldable material to solidify and cure after be

Assignees

• Lacrosse Footwear Inc
• LaCrosse Footwear

Inventors

• Ludemann John William
• Behnke Justin
• Brabson Paul W
• Barker Aaron
• Tong Xiaojian

Classifications

• A43B5/145

  Boots for motorcyclists · CPC title

• B29D35/146

  Uppers · CPC title

• B29D35/04

  having multilayered parts · CPC title

• A43B23/0235 Primary

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• B29D35/02

  made in one piece using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding or casting · CPC title