METHOD FOR THE CUSTOMIZATION OF A FOOTWEAR AND KIT FOR CARRYING OUT SAID METHOD

Abstract

A method and kit are provided for the customization of footwear comprising an upper which is partially or totally made of thermoformable material. The method provides for selectively heating the portions made of thermoformable material of the footwear, while leaving the remaining portions of the footwear at a substantially unchanged temperature, and for applying to the thermoformable material portions a pressure sufficient to adapt their shape to the specific morphology of the user's foot. This allows to customize even footwear comprising delicate portions, which would be damaged if subjected to high temperatures. The method may provide for customizing a footbed, partially or totally made of thermoformable material, to the specific morphology of the user's foot sole. The kit is compact, preferably transportable and capable of autonomously carrying out all the steps of the method.

Claims

1. A method for the customization of a footwear, more particularly a sports footwear, wherein the footwear comprises an upper and a sole, wherein the upper comprises at least one or more portions made of thermoformable material, wherein the method comprises: heating the portions made of thermoformable material up to a temperature above a first predetermined threshold; fitting a foot of a user into the footwear; applying to the footwear, at least at the portions made of thermoformable material, a pressure sufficient to modify the shape of the portions made of thermoformable material, adapting them to the morphology of the foot of the user; while the pressure is being applied, allowing the portions made of thermoformable material to cool down to a temperature below the first predetermined threshold; wherein the method provides for selectively heating the portions made of thermoformable material of the footwear, while leaving the remaining portions of the footwear at a substantially unchanged temperature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when heating the portions made of thermoformable material, the portions made of thermoformable material are heated on both sides, from the outside and from the inside of the upper of the footwear.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: providing a footbed, having a shape and size suitable for being inserted into the footwear and made, either partially or totally, of thermoformable material; heating the footbed up to a temperature above a second predetermined threshold; fitting said footbed, thus heated, to the foot sole of the user; applying to the foot of said user, at least at the foot sole, a pressure sufficient to modify the shape of said footbed of thermoformable material, adapting it to the morphology of said foot sole of said user; while said pressure is being applied, allowing said footbed to cool down to a temperature below the second predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, before applying to the footwear, at least at the portions made of thermoformable material, a pressure sufficient to modify the shape of the portions made of thermoformable material, adapting them to the morphology of the foot of the user, the footbed is inserted into a retaining element made of elastic material and the foot of the user is fitted into the elastic retaining element.

5. A kit for the customization of a footwear, more particularly a sports footwear, wherein the footwear comprises an upper and a sole, wherein the upper comprises at least one or more portions made of a thermoformable material, wherein the kit comprises: heating elements, arranged for heating the portions made of thermoformable material up to a temperature above a predetermined threshold; shaping elements, arranged for applying to the footwear, at least at said portions made of thermoformable material, a pressure sufficient to modify the shape of the portions made of thermoformable material, adapting them to the morphology of the foot of the user; wherein the heating elements are arranged for selectively heating the portions made of thermoformable material of said footwear, while leaving the remaining portions of the footwear at a substantially unchanged temperature.

6. The kit of claim 5, wherein the heating elements comprise at least one flexible heating element shaped for adapting to the portions made of thermoformable material.

7. The kit of claim 6, wherein the heating elements comprise a flexible heating element which comprises a first heating portion shaped for being inserted into the upper of said footwear and for heating the portions made of thermoformable material from the inside of the footwear and a second heating portion shaped for wrapping the upper of the footwear and for heating the portions made of thermoformable material from the outside of the footwear.

8. The kit of claim 6, wherein the heating elements comprise a first heating element shaped for being inserted into the upper of the footwear and for heating the portions made of thermoformable material from the inside of the footwear and a second heating element shaped for wrapping the upper of the footwear and for heating the portions made of thermoformable material from the outside of the footwear.

9. The kit of claim 5, wherein the shaping elements comprise at least one shaping element which comprises an inner housing, which is shaped for receiving the foot of the user, and an outer housing, which defines, with the inner housing, a gap which is connectable to a pressure medium source.

10. The kit of claim 9, wherein the shaping elements comprise a strap, arranged for being wound around the at least one shaping element and around the knees of the user for blocking the foot of the user inside the shaping element, thus keeping the pressure constant, irrespective of the weight of the user.

11. The kit of claim 9, wherein the shaping elements comprise a knee spacer arranged for keeping the legs of said user parallel to each other.

12. The kit of claim 10, wherein the shaping elements comprise a knee spacer arranged for keeping the legs of said user parallel to each other.

13. The kit of claim 5, wherein the footwear comprises a footbed made of thermoformable material and wherein the heating elements comprise further heating elements shaped for heating the footbed.

14. The kit of claim 5, wherein the footwear comprises a footbed made of thermoformable material and wherein the kit comprises at least one retaining element made of elastic material and shaped for receiving the footbed and for covering the region of the foot sole of the user and for fitting, at least partially, around the region of the heel and around the region of the toes of the user.

15. The kit of claim 5, wherein the kit further comprises a heating unit connectable to the heating elements, a pressure medium source connectable to the shaping elements and a control unit for managing and controlling the heating unit and the pressure medium source.

16. The kit of claim 5, wherein the kit further comprises an outer casing, which receives at its inside all the components of the kit and is made in the shape of a trunk, a suitcase or a trolley.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0062] FIGS. 1a and 1b show the overall kit for the customization of a footwear according to the invention;

[0063] FIGS. 2a and 2b show the heating step of the method for the customization of a footwear according to the invention;

[0064] FIGS. 3a and 3b show the shaping step of the method according to the invention;

[0065] FIG. 4 shows the shaping means used in a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention;

[0066] FIG. 5 shows the step of heating the footbed of the method according to the invention;

[0067] FIG. 6 shows the step of inserting the footbed into the elastic retaining element of the method according to the invention;

[0068] FIG. 7 shows the step of shaping the footbed of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0069] The invention relates to a method for the customization of a footwear, more particularly a sports footwear, which comprises a sole and an upper and in which said upper is made, either partially or totally, of a thermoformable material, by thermoforming said thermoformable material.

[0070] The invention also relates to a kit for carrying out said method, which kit is schematically shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b.

[0071] The kit 1 according to the invention is made in a compact, preferably transportable form and comprises an outer casing 3 which receives in its inside all the components of said kit. Said outer casing 3 is made, for instance, as a trunk, a suitcase or a trolley.

[0072] Heating means 11 and shaping means 31, the operation of which will be disclosed in detail below, are received inside the outer casing 3.

[0073] In the shown embodiment, the heating means are electric heating means and the kit 1 further comprises a heating unit 41 which is connectable to said heating means 11. Said kit 1 further comprises a pressure medium source 51 which is connectable to said shaping means 31.

[0074] In this embodiment, the kit 1 also comprises a control unit 61 for management and control of the heating unit 41 and of the heating means 11 connected thereto, as well as of the pressure medium source 51 and of the shaping means 31 connected thereto. The control unit 61 allows/prevents the electric connection between the heating unit 41 and the various heating elements of the heating means 11 and it further sets, monitors and adjusts the temperature of said heating elements; in addition, the control unit 61 allows/prevents the pneumatic connection between the pressure medium source 51 and the various shaping elements of the shaping means 31 and it further sets, monitors and adjusts the pressure of said shaping elements.

[0075] In the shown embodiment, the kit 1 further comprises elastic retaining elements 21 for the footbed of a footwear, the function of which will be explained in detail below.

[0076] With reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b, the method provides for providing a footwear 100 with an upper which is totally or partially made of a thermoformable material. More particularly, in the shown embodiment the footwear 100 is a sports footwear (namely a hiking footwear), which comprises only some portions made of thermoformable material, namely at the malleoli region and at the metatarsus region, the remaining portions of the footwear being made of different, non-thermoformable materials.

[0077] Typically, a pair of footwear 100 will be provided, for the right foot and for the left foot of the user, respectively.

[0078] The method according to the invention provides for selectively heating the portions made of thermoformable material of the footwear 100, while leaving the remaining portions of the footwear at a substantially unchanged temperature, and more particularly while leaving at a substantially unchanged temperature those portions of the footwear 100 in which glues or other components that could deteriorate if subjected to high temperature are provided.

[0079] Correspondingly, the kit according to the invention comprises heating means 11 for selectively heating said portions made of thermoformable material of the upper of the footwear 100.

[0080] Said heating means 11 comprise at least one flexible heating element 13, which contains in its inside electric resistances and which is shaped so as to fit to said portion made of thermoformable material.

[0081] Preferably, during the heating step the portions made of thermoformable material of the footwear 100 are sandwiched between a pair of portions of the heating element, so that they are simultaneously heated from both sides. Such arrangement allows to bring the thermoformable material to the desired temperature in a shorter time and while keeping the temperature of the heating element 13 limited, which involves energy saving, avoids the risk of accidents (burns) of the operator andabove allhelps to avoid a temperature increase of the remaining portions of the footwear (even in the vicinity of the portions made of thermoformable material).

[0082] In the shown embodiment, the heating element 13 includes two heating portions, a first heating portion 13a which is shaped so as to be inserted into the upper of the footwear 100 and heat the portions made of thermoformable material from the inside (FIG. 2a) and a second heating portion 13b which is shaped so as to wrap the upper of the footwear 100 and heat the portions made of thermoformable material from the outside (FIG. 2b).

[0083] Advantageously, a pair of heating elements 13 can be provided, one for the right footwear and the other one for the left footwear, whereby heating of both footwear can take place simultaneously.

[0084] As an alternative, the heating means 11 could comprise two separate heating elements, a first heating element shaped for being inserted into the upper of the footwear and a second heating element shaped for being wrapped around the upper of the footwear (or a pair of thus shaped first heating elements and a pair of thus shaped second heating elements, for the right footwear and the left footwear respectively).

[0085] The heating elements 13a, 13b are connectable to a heating unit, such as an electric heater, for increasing the temperature of the electric resistances. Said heating unit can be a component of the kit 1 according to the invention (FIG. 1b) or it can be an external, self-standing device.

[0086] With reference now to FIGS. 3a and 3b, the method according to the invention provides for making the user fit his/her foot into the footwear 100 and inserting said footwear 100while the temperature of the portions made of thermoformable material is above the above-mentioned first thresholdinto shaping means 31 arranged for applying to the user's foot a pressure sufficient for modifying the shape of said portions made of thermoformable material so as to adapt it to the specific morphology of the user's foot.

[0087] The user's foot is kept inside the shaping means and is subjected to said substantially constant pressure until the temperature of the portions made of thermoformable material decreases below the above-mentioned first threshold, i.e. below the softening temperature of said thermoformable material.

[0088] In FIG. 4, the shaping means 31 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention are shown in greater detail.

[0089] Said shaping means 31 comprise at least one shaping element 33 and, more preferably, a pair of shaping elements, whereby the shaping of the right footwear and of the left footwear can take place simultaneously.

[0090] Each shaping element 33 comprises an inner housing or inner sack 35, suitable for receiving the user's foot, and an outer housing or outer sack 37, defining together with the inner sack a gap that is connectable to a source of pressurized medium, such as air.

[0091] The pressure medium source can be, for instance, an electric compressor which can be connected to the power mains and which can be a component of the kit 1 according to the invention (FIG. 1b) or an external, self-standing device.

[0092] By introducing the pressure medium into the gap, an increasingly higher pressure can be applied to the user's foot received in the inner sack 35. More particularly, by introducing an appropriate amount of pressure medium into the gap, a sufficient pressure can be applied to the portions made of thermoformable material of the upper of the footwear 100, while they are kept in contact with the user's foot, for causing them to deform and adapt to the morphology of the foot of said user; such a pressure is maintained until cooling of the thermoformable material.

[0093] Advantageously, use of elements suitable for guaranteeing that the user maintains the correct position during the step of shaping the footwear 100 may be provided.

[0094] More particularly, as shown in FIG. 3b, the user will fit his/her feet into the shaping elements while sitting, with his/her femurs in a substantially horizontal position, and a strap 39 will be passed under the shaping elements 33 and around the user's knees and it will be closed so as to form a ring around the user's legs. The strap 39 prevents the pressure in the gap between the sacks 35, 37 of the shaping elements 33 from pulling the user's feet out of said shaping elements. Moreover, the strap 39 guarantees that the pressure applied to the user's feet is constant and equal to the desired value, irrespective of the user's weight.

[0095] In addition or in alternative to the strap 39, the kit 1 according to the invention may comprise a knee spacer 38 (which can be seen in FIG. 3b), the function of which is to keep the user's legs parallel to each other, avoiding rotations and misalignments during the shaping step.

[0096] In the shown embodiment, the footwear 100 is provided with a footbed, partially or totally made of thermoformable material, and the method according to the invention provides for adapting the shape of said footbed to the specific morphology of the user's foot sole by thermoforming.

[0097] With reference to FIG. 5, typically a pair of footbeds 200, 200 will be provided, for the right foot and for the left foot of the user, respectively.

[0098] The method according to the invention provides for heating the footbed 200, 200 until bringing its temperature above a second predetermined threshold, equal to or higher than the softening temperature of the thermoformable material.

[0099] Correspondingly, the heating means 11 of the kit 1 according to the invention will comprise further heating elements for heating the footbeds.

[0100] Preferably, during the heating step the footbed is sandwiched between a pair of heating elements, so as to be simultaneously heated from both sides.

[0101] Correspondingly, the heating means 11 comprise three further heating elements, namely a middle heating element 15b and a pair of lateral heating elements 15a, 15c: in this way both footbeds can be simultaneously heated, by sandwiching a first footbed 200 between the middle heating element 15b and a first lateral heating element 15a and the second footbed 200 between the middle heating element 15b and the second lateral heating element 15c.

[0102] With reference to FIG. 7, the footbed 200, 200while its temperature is maintained above the above-mentioned second thresholdis fitted to the foot sole of the user and the user's foot is inserted into the shaping means 31, in which it is subjected to a pressure sufficient to make the footbed adhere to the user's foot sole and to modify its shape for adapting it to the specific morphology of the user's foot.

[0103] The step of shaping the footbed takes place in a way completely similar to what described above with reference to the footwear and the above-mentioned pressure is maintained, at a substantially constant level, until the footbed temperature decreases below the second predetermined threshold, corresponding to the softening temperature of the thermoformable material.

[0104] In the particularly preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, during the shaping step the footbed 200, 200 is not merely fitted to the user's foot sole. On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 6, said footbed is previously inserted into a retaining element 21 made of elastic material.

[0105] Said elastic retaining element 21 is shaped so as to comprise a foot sole portion 21b, suitable for covering the region of the user's foot sole, a heel portion 21c, suitable for wrapping, at least partially, the region of the user's heel, and a toe portion 21a, suitable for wrapping, at least partially, the region of the user's toes, so as to receive the footbed and effectively hold it in place against the user's foot sole. Said elastic retaining element can be made, for instance, in the shape of a sock (so-called footlet) or of a soft shoe (so-called ballet flat).

[0106] During the above-described shaping step, the provision of the elastic retaining element 21 ensures that the footbed 200, 200 is constantly maintained adhering to the user's foot sole and guarantees that said footbed is correctly positioned and aligned with respect to said foot sole.

[0107] Preferably, the kit 1 will comprise a pair of elastic retaining elements 21, one for each (right and left) footbed 200, 200 of the pair of footbeds.

[0108] Even more preferably, the kit 1 will comprise a plurality of elastic retaining elementsor a plurality of pairs of elastic retaining elementsof different shapes and sizes for footbeds of footwear of different sizes.

[0109] It is to be noted that, in case the method according to the invention provides for the thermoforming of footbeds, such thermoforming of footbeds will take place before the thermoforming of footwear and the step of shaping the footwear will take place with the (already customized) footbeds inserted inside the footwear.

[0110] It will be evident from the above disclosure that the method according to the invention achieves the objects set forth above, as it allows to completely customize to the foot of each single user any footwear having an upper which comprises one or more portions made of thermoformable material.

[0111] It will apparent to the person skilled in the art that the kit according to the invention allows to carry out the above-mentioned method in a comfortable, quick and effective way. Indeed, first of all said kit allows to implement the method according to the invention in a completely autonomous way. Secondly, said kit allows to simultaneously carry out different steps of the method according to the invention: for instance, the step of heating the footwear may take place while the user is handling the step of shaping the footbeds, thus achieving an optimization of the time required for the overall procedure.

[0112] It will be also evident that the embodiment described above is not to be intended in a limiting sense and that several variants and modificationsnamely as far as the nature of the employed heating means and shaping means is concernedare possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0113] In this respect it is to be noted that, although in the foregoing description reference has been generically made to a thermoformable material, the invention can be applied both to the customization of footwear (and possibly footbeds) comprising one or more portions made of the same thermoformable material and to the customization of footwear comprising portions made of different thermoformable materials and/or provided with footbeds that are partially or totally made of thermoformable material(s) different from the thermoformable material(s) of the footwear upper. In the latter case, the temperature threshold(s) in the heating step (or steps) will be set each time according to the softening temperature of the specific thermoformable material(s) involved.