Footwear having a rigid shell
AssigneeSalomon S.A.
InventorChristian Challande
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Footwear, such as a sports boot, including a shell or a shell element made of a rigid plastic base material whose softening point is greater than 170° C. and a method of manufacturing such footwear. At least in one local portion of the shell or shell element, the base material of the shell includes an additive having a melting temperature lower than 100° C., in a proportion of between 3% and 45% in a first embodiment and between 10% and 25% in a second embodiment. A heating machine includes a base provided to receive at least one boot along a longitudinal direction defined by the sole and a hot air blower. The heating machine includes at least two air blowing channels facing one another and located on each side of the longitudinal direction.
Claims15
An article of footwear comprising:
- a shell including a sole and a wall, the wall being constructed and arranged to extend upwardly relative to the sole to cover at least a part of a foot or lower leg of a wearer;
- said wall of the shell comprising:
- at least one portion comprising less than an entirety of the wall of the shell, said portion comprising:
- a mixture of a base material and an additive;
- said base material of the mixture comprising a thermoplastic material providing rigidity to said one portion of the wall of the shell;
- said thermoplastic material having a melting temperature greater than 170° C.;
- said additive of the mixture having a melting temperature lower than 100° C.;
- said additive of the mixture constituting a proportion of the portion of the wall of the shell between 3% and 45%;
- a foundation comprising:
- neither said at least one portion of the wall of the shell nor said additive;
- a foundation base material comprising:
- a thermoplastic material providing rigidity to the wall of the foundation;
- the thermoplastic material of the foundation having a melting temperature greater than 170° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.