AU607634B2 - Safety footwear - Google Patents

Description

I I lII COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIAFom1 PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: t t

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Complete Specification Lodgad: Accepted: P~ublished: a Priprity Related Art: oName of Applicant: Address ol Applicant: PACIFIC DUNLOP LIMITED c/o- DUNLOP FOOTWEAR 47 CHAPEL ROAD BANKSTOWN NSW 2200 Actual Inventor: BRIAN NOLA" 47 CHAPEL ROAD BANKSTOWN NSW 2200 Address for Service:- WATERMARK Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Suite 6, Floor 16, 456 !"Lent Street SYDNEY 2000 Complete Specif ication for the invention eni~tld: SAFETY FOOTWEAR The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to 10i21 7 10/09/89

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c I i This invention relates to footwear and more particularly to a lugged outsole especially for steel toe-capped industrial safety footwear.

In many trades and professions the wearing of safety footwear is mandatory and it is usual for such footwear to have a leather upper incorporating a steel toe-cap.

Industrial safety footwear incorporating such steel toe-caps is required to meet certain "drop test" criteria in order to achieve approval and/or endorsement by the Standards Association of Australia. In other words, the

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space under the steel toe-cap, subsequent to a laid-down Tr i impact test, has to be within set parameters.

In the past, employing a solid outsole material 15 as for example rubber cr PVC, it was possible for the Ft,, footwear manufacturer to meet the required standards, as the solid outsole whether smooth surfaced or treaded provided a firm base onto which the steel toe-cap was able to bed during an impact.

cC,, 20 In recent years, however, there has been a move by manufacturers into the use of other kinds of soling r zt material, namely single density and dual density e tt 6. polyurethane soling. Because of the pronounced "spongy" tt 0 characteristics of this improved soling material, it has become more difficult for the manufactur,r to meet the above-identified drop test requirements, as the steel toecap moves and flexes to an unacceptable degree on such spongy soling material.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages, and this is achieved by the provision of an outsole for safety footwear, said outsole being substantially solid and having a plurality of reinforcing lugs disposed upon the upper surface thereof; the arrangement being such that, when said outsole is combined with an upper having a steel toe-cap incorporated therein and a midsole, of lower density than is the outsole, formed betwen said outsole and said upper, the reinforcing lugs protrude into the midsole, at a location below the steel toe-cap, to thereby increase the impact resistance of the toe-cap. The reinforcing lugs ideally are constituted by a pair of integrally moulded-in extrusions spaced-apart on the said upper surface, although it is envisaged that they may be bonded to the outsole subsequent to its moulding.

Preferably the underside of the outsole is provided with array of integrally moulded-in, groundengaging cleats.

Advantageously, the midsole is formed by placing C the outsole in a mould, positioning the upper above it, 'a injecting the lower density midsole material into the space 15 between the outsole and the upper, and allowing the said e material to cure to thereby form the midsole.

g In order that a better understanding of the present invention may be gained, hereinafter will be described a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in r which:e g tFigure 1 is a bottom plan view of the inventive outsole; Sts Figure 2 is a corresponding right-hand side view; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the outsole, clearly showing reinforcing lugs; Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary S part-sectional view of a portion of the toe area of the outsole; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of a shoe provided with an inventive outsole.

Throughout the drawings, like integers are referenced by the same numeral.

In Figure 1 is to be seen a footwear outsole, particularly for a steel toe-capped industrial safety shoe or boot, generally indicated 1, and showing an array of integrally moulded-in, ground-engaging cleats or lugs, as those heel cleats referenced 2 and those on the "half-sole" portion adjacent the heel and referenced 3. The two cleated or lugged portions of outsole 1 are joined by an arch-portion 4 having an integral strengthening rib 5. The rear end of the heel portion is upturned at 6, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5. The upper surface of outsole 1 is provided with a number of reinforcing lugs, as the two referenced 7.

However, within that area of outsole 1 which is shown to the right of the chain-line 8, and which is destined to be disposed below the steel safety toe-cap, is a further array of cleats 9, moulded onto what may be aptly termed a "plinth", or perhaps "matrix", referenced 10 and best to be seen in Figure 4, in which Figure the abovereferenced outsole's entirety is indicated sectionally by the cross-hatched fragment 11.

Turning now to Figure 5, the purpose of the reinforcing lugs 7 will become clear. An inventive insole 1 as described above is placed in a mould and a previously r s manufactured upper, generally referenced 12, positionally affixed above it. Lower density spongy material is then injected into the space between outsole 1 and upper 12 and allowed to set or cure to thereby form a midsole 13.

Since the reinforcing lugs 7 protrude into the substance of midsole 13, when the steel toe-cap 14 is impacted there is considerably less of this lower density spongy material under the toe-cap. The presence of the reinforcing lugs dramatically improves the impact resistance of the toe-cap.

Although the lugs 7 are shown in the drawings as a pair of integrally moulded-in extrusions spaced apart on the upper surface of the outsole, as previously stated, as such they could equally well be added to outsole after the latter has been moulded.

Furthermore, the reinforcing lugs may extend either partly or wholly around the front part of the toe, and may have varying dimensions. In any case, greater protection for the wearer is ensured should impact of the steel toe-cap occur.

From the abovegoing, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that numerous variations and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set out in the appended claims.

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Claims (6)

1. An outsole for safety footwear, said outsole being substantially solid and having a plurality of reinforcing lugs disposed upon an upper surface thereof; the arrangement being such that, when said outsole is combined with an upper having a steel toe-cap incorporated therein and a midsole, of lower density than is said outsole, formed between said outsole and said upper, said reinforcing lugs protrude into said midsole, at a location below said steel toe-cap, to thereby increase the impact resistance of the toe-cap.

2. The outsole as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the underside thereof is provided with an array of integrally moulded-in, ground-engaging cleats.

3. The outsole as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, e *o wherein said reinforcing lugs are constituted by a pair of integrally moulded-in extrusions spaced-apart on said upper surface.

4. The outsole as claimed in Claims 1, 2 or 3, E wherein said reinforcing lugs are bonded to said outsole c, subsequent to its moulding. The outsole as claimed in any one of the C preceding claims, wherein said midsole is formed by placing C c said outsole in a mould, positioning said upper thereabove, injecting said lower density midsole material into the space c between said outsole and said upper and allowing said C t S material to set, or cure, to thereby form said midsole.

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6. An outsole for safety footwear, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 18th day of September, 1989. PACIFIC DUNLOP LIMITED Patent Attorney: P.L. PEARSON of WATERMARK Patent Itade Mark Attorneys 456 Kent Street, SYDNEY, 2000 -;li-i I