WO2006125997A1

WO2006125997A1 - Inter-engaging fasteners

Info

Publication number: WO2006125997A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/001928
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jason Kershaw; Paul Oates
Original assignee: Jason Kershaw; Paul Oates
Priority date: 2005-05-26
Filing date: 2006-05-26
Publication date: 2006-11-30
Also published as: EP1906781A1; GB0510712D0; GB2426687A

Abstract

An inter- engaging fastener system (6) comprises a first substrate (7) provided with a plurality of spaced first engagement members (8) distributed across a surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate (9) provided with a plurality of second engagement members (10) disposed across a surface of the second substrate. Each first member comprises a central projection (11) and a wall surface (12) spaced from, surrounding and facing the projection. The wall surface defines, together with the surface of the projection, a generally ring-shaped groove (13) between the wall surface and the projection surface, Each second member is of generally cylindrical form, defining a central socket (15) surrounded by a circum- extending wall (16) having an inner surface (17) defining the socket and an outer surface (18) . The first' member forms a close fit with the second member. The system may be used to interengage an upper portion (2) and a sole portion of an item' of footwear.

Description

INTER-ENGAGING FASTENERS

Background

This invention relates to an inter-engaging fastener system.

As will be clear from the detailed description hereinbelow, the present fastener system has been devised in the context of, and in particular for, selectively coupling either replaceable uppers to a single shoe sole or alternative shoe soles to a single shoe upper. However, the invention is not so limited and the inter-engaging fasteners described herein may find utility over a wide range of circumstances where inter-engaging fasteners are desired.

Footwear is commonly constructed from an upper (which itself may be made of several separate pieces of material), possibly a liner, an inner sole or a mid-sole, and an outer sole that makes contact with the ground.

The outer sole will wear over time whilst the remainder of the shoe may remain serviceable for a further period. Equally well, for example for fashion reasons, it may be desirable to replace a particular upper with an alternative, whilst the remainder of the shoe remains the same. Again, different outer soles will be best suited for different sports and could be used with a single upper. For all these reasons many different prior proposals have been made for ways in which footwear may be constructed so that either a sole portion may be replaced whilst retaining the upper portion of a piece of footwear or the upper portion may be replaced whilst retaining the sole portion. These arrangements have included slidable inter-fitting arrangements, sometimes with an auxiliary clip (see for example US 1773242, US 3204346, US 5644857 and US 2002/0124435). Arrangements have also been widely proposed that employ screws, studs or pop rivets or the like mechanical fasteners (see for example WO 99/53790, US 5644857, US 6065228, US 2002/0112372, US 2003/0230007, GB 244912 and DE 3148059. The use of cooperating hook-and-loop fasteners has also been widely proposed, sometimes combined with inter-engaging studs and sockets (see for example US 4377042, US 6311415, US 2003/0200676, EP 0153136 and WO 03/009715). The problem that these prior proposals have in general failed adequately to address is the need to provide both reliability and ease of operation. The way in which the two parts of the footwear are coupled together must be sufficiently reliable that they do not accidentally come apart. Equally well, in the interests of ready inter-changeability, the two parts of the footwear must be readily capable of being separated by a user and equally readily capable of being re-engaged. Many of the prior proposals have suffered from a trade-off between reliability and ease of operation, In many cases, the resultant structure ended up technically too complicated to be manufactured economically or to be readily acceptable to the ordinary purchaser.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, we provide an inter- engaging fastener system comprising a first substrate provided with a plurality of spaced first engagement members distributed across a surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate provided with a plurality of second engagement members disposed across a surface of the second substrate; the distribution of the first members on the said surface of the first substrate and the distribution of second members across the said surface of the second substrate being such that respective first and second members are adapted to interengage to inter-connect the first substrate with the second substrate; each first member comprising a central projection and a wall surface spaced from, surrounding and facing the projection, the wall surface defining, together with the surface of the projection, a generally ring- shaped groove between said wall surface and the said projection surface; and each second member being of generally cylindrical form, defining a central socket surrounded by a circum-extending wall having an inner surface defining the said socket and an outer surface; a first member and a corresponding second member being dimensioned to inter-engage so that the projection of the first member forms a close fit with the inner surface of the circum-extending wall in the socket of the second member and the circum-extending wall is received in the groove of the first member with a close fit between the inner surface and the outer surface of the circum-extending wall and the respective sides of the groove. Preferably the inter-engaging fastener system is used to inter-engage a sole portion and an upper portion which together form an item of footwear, one of the first and second substrates being attached to or forming a surface of the sole portion, and the other of the first and second substrates being attached to or forming part of a confronting surface of the upper portion.

In a second and alternative aspect of this invention, there is provided an item of footwear comprising an upper portion and a sole portion, the sole portion comprising at least an outsole having a surface adapted for contact with the ground in use, the upper portion and the sole portion being interengaged by a fastener system comprising a first substrate provided with a plurality of spaced first engagement members distributed across an engagement surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate provided with a plurality of second engagement members disposed across an engagement surface of the second substrate, one of the said engagement surfaces consisting of a second surface of the sole portion opposite said ground contact surface or of a member attached thereto, and the other said engagement surface consisting of a surface of said upper portion confronting said second surface of the sole portion, or of a member attached to said confronting surface of said upper portion; the distribution of the first engagement members on the said engagement surface of the first substrate and the distribution of second members across the said engagement surface of the second substrate being such that respective first and second engagement members are adapted to interengage to interconnect the sole portion with the upper portion; each first engagement member comprising a central projection and a wall surface spaced from, surrounding and facing the projection, the wall surface defining, together with the surface of the projection, a generally ring-shaped groove between said wall surface and the said projection surface; and each second engagement member being of generally cylindrical form, defining a central socket surrounded by a circum-extending wall having an inner surface defining the said socket and an outer surface; a first engagement member and a corresponding second engagement member being dimensioned to inter-engage so that the projection of the first engagement member forms a close fit with the inner surface of the circum-extending wall in the socket of the second engagement member and the circum-extending wall is received in the groove of the first engagement member with a close fit between the inner surface and the outer surface of the circum-extending wall and the respective sides of the groove.

The respective first and second engagement members are preferably not completely rigid but have some flexibility and stretch. As a result, the thickness of the circum-extending wall of a second engagement member may be slightly greater than the thickness of the groove in the corresponding first engagement member and/or the cross-section of the projection of a first engagement member over at least part of its length may be slightly greater than the cross-section of the socket in the corresponding second engagement member. The first and second engagement members may be readily moulded from any of the conventional plastics materials and in particular those that are used in the construction of footwear, and are preferably integrally moulded with their respective substrate. A particularly advantageous material is polyurethane, which is often used as a leather substitute, and is produced by a cold cure process. By varying the quantity of the components forming the cure, the density and flexibility of the resulting cured material can readily be varied even within the same integrally moulded article, We have also found that a good fit occurs between substrates moulded from Santoprene®.

In a preferred arrangement, the grooves defined in the first engagement members are formed as generally ring-shaped wells in a surface of the first substrate that is otherwise generally flat, with the respective projections located at the centres of each well. The respective projections preferably do not extend proud of the said generally flat surface.

To aid in location and interengagement of a sole portion with an upper portion, either the sole portion or the upper portion may be provided with a portion projecting outwardly from the surface of its said substrate at either the toe or heel end thereof with a groove or socket defined therein, so that the corresponding toe or heel end of other of the sole and upper portions can first be located in the said groove or socket (and may be provided with an extension for this purpose) with the faces of the first and second substrates then being pressed together to interengage the first and second interengagement means. This arrangement also aids disengagement, since the sole and upper portions are simply grasped at the other of the toe or heel end, and separated from that end towards the first.

The projecting portion may form part of a skirt extending about at least the greater part the edge of its corresponding substrate.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is hereinafter more particularly described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a shoe upper portion and sole portions; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of two inter-engaging shoe shaped substrates; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of two portions of separated substrates showing co-operating male and female members; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view through an inter-engaged pair of male and female members taken along the line IV-IV in Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is an axial sectional view through the pair of male and female members of Fig. 4, taken along the line V-V in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified embodiment of male member;

Fig. 7 is an axial sectional view on a smaller scale of a modified embodiment of female member;

Fig. 8 shows a female member in plan illustrating another modification; Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating an alternative configuration;

Fig. 10 shows another cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating an alternative variation, the section being taken at the toe end of the substrates; and

Fig, 11 is a cross-sectional views generally similar to that of Figs. 5, 9 and 10 for a yet further variation.

Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring first to Fig. 1, a shoe, generally indicated 1, comprises an upper portion 2 and three alternative sole portions 3₅ 4 and 5. The upper portion is arranged for inter-engagement with a selected sole portion by an inter-engaging fastener system as described in more detail below and indicated at 6. In an alternative arrangement, a single sole portion such as sole portion 3 may be adapted to be fitted to a plurality of alternative different upper portions by a similar inter- engaging fastener system.

Fig. 2 shows a pair of shoe shaped substrates, here transparent for ease of illustration, inter-fitted by interlocking fasteners. A small section of the interlocking fasteners is shown separated in Fig. 3. It will be seen that one substrate 7 is provided with a plurality of outwardly extending first elements 8 while the other substrate 9 is provided with a corresponding plurality of similarly located outwardly extending second members 10. Each first member has a central projection 11 together with a wall 12 spaced from and surrounding the central projection. The space 13 between the central projection and the inner surface 14 of the wall defines a groove of generally cylindrical form.

The corresponding second members 10 are of generally cylindrical form so that each such cylindrical member 10 defines a central socket 15 surrounded by a circum-extending wall 16, which has a generally cylindrical inner surface 17 and a generally cylindrical outer surface 18. Outer surface 18 is suitably chamfered at 19 so that the distal end of the wall 16 is thinner than the remainder, and so more flexible.

The central projection 11 of the first member 8 is sized for a close fit with the central socket 15 of the second member 10, while the circum-extending wall 16 of the second member is sized for a close fit within the groove 13 of the first member, so that the two said members may inter-engage.

The central projection 11 and wall 12 of the first member 8 and the circum- extending wall 16 of the second member 10 may all extend outwardly from their respective substrates by substantially the same distance, as shown in the alternative embodiment of Figs. 4 and 5. We have found that the members are easier to locate with each other, and thus to interengage, if the central projection of the first member extends beyond its corresponding surrounding wall, as in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 for location in the central socket of the second member. However, as explained in more detail below, with reference to Figs. 9 and 10, in the case of shoe soles and uppers, location can also be achieved by other means that have additional advantages.

As the respective members are inter-engaged and pushed together, air is expelled. Thereafter, a slight suction or vacuum effect has to be overcome in order to separate the members. This ensures that they do not separate unintentionally.

As Fig. 2 readily shows, a plurality of co-operating first and second members may be distributed across confronting surfaces of a sole portion and an upper portion of footwear, here on respective substrates which are then attached to the respective upper portion and sole portion enabling the arrangement shown in Fig. 1.

Without wishing to be limited solely to first and second members of a particular size, we have found that good results are produced when the first and second members have a length of around 0.5 to lcm. and a diameter of between half this and double this.

They can readily be moulded from polythene, polypropylene or nylon.

Particularly when the sole is made from a polyurethane or a similar composition (polyurethane being commonly used as a leather substitute) either the first members of the inter-engaging fastener system or the second members, in the alternative, may be co-moulded with the sole. Polyurethane is formed by a cold cure process, the precise hardness and flexibility of the resulting material depending upon the components of the cure, and such hardness and flexibility may be varied across the thickness of a single article. The fastener elements, whether the first members or the., second members, can thus be made completely integral with the sole while at the same time being manufactured so as to be somewhat more flexible than the remainder of the sole to allow one set of members readily to form a push fit with the other set of members. We have also found that good results are achieved when the first and second substrates are moulded from Santoprene® thermoplastic vulcanizate, This is a rubber-like thermoplastic elastomer available from ExxonMobil Chemical Ltd, Leicester, United Kingdom, that, unlike conventional vulcanized rubbers, can be processed and recycled like thermoplastic materials, and has a chemically cross-linked rubbery phase produced by dynamic vulcanization. It therefore lends itself to the manufacture of our replaceable soles as the first (or second, depending on the chosen configuration) members may be co-moulded with the sole. An alternative, but generally similar material is Bergaflex® available from PolyOne Corporation UK Ltd, Manchester, United Kingdom.

The members of the fastener may be profiled in various ways. Thus, as shown in Fig, 6, the distal portion 20 of central projection 11 of the first member 8 may take a part-spherical form and, as shown, may substantially close the groove 13 so that to inter-engage the first and second members, the circum-extending wall 16 of the corresponding second member 10, has to be pushed past the distal portion 20 of projection 11, stretching both the circum-extending wall of the second member and the surrounding wall 12 of the first member in the course. In addition, as shown to a smaller scale in Fig. 7, inner surface 17 and bottom 21 of socket 15 of the second member 10 may be spherically profiled as shown at 22 to accommodate the enlarged part-spherical distal end of projection 11.

We have found that the combination of first and second members shown in Figs. 6 and 7 provides a positive fit with expulsion of air as the two members interengage, and enhanced lateral compression, ensuring positive location even when the surfaces are wet, and resisting unintended separation.

Although less preferred, either the surrounding wall of the first member and/or the circum-extending wall of the second member need not be continuous, but may be formed as several portions that can move relative to each other as the members are inter-engaged. Fig. 8, by way of example shows a second member 10 with four separate portions 23 together defining a circum-extending wall.

Referring again to Fig. 5, the configuration of mating first and second members there shown effectively defines air spaces 24 between and surrounding the interengaged first and second members when the two substrates are coupled, for example to provide a complete shoe. In the case of footwear, this provides a deformable air pocket providing a spring like effect beneath pressure points on the base of the foot when walking or running.

However, in this arrangement, the greater part of the wearer's weight is borne solely by the interengaged first and second members. This weight can be more evenly distributed across the surface of the interengaged substrates if the space 24 is filled either by the substrate 9 carrying the second members 10, as illustrated in Fig. 9, or by substrate 7 carrying the first members 8, as shown in Fig. 10, or by an intermediate arrangement, such as that of Fig. 11, in which part of space 24 is filled by substrate 9 and part by substrate 7. We prefer the arrangement shown in Fig. 10, in which the grooves 13 defined in the first engagement members are formed as generally ring-shaped wells in a surface 25 of the first substrate that is otherwise generally flat, with the respective projections 11 located at the centres of each well. The respective projections preferably do not extend proud of the said generally flat surface. In the arrangement of Fig. 10, the projections 11 are level with surface 25.

To aid in location and interengagement of a sole portion with an upper portion, either the sole portion or the upper portion may be provided with a portion projecting outwardly from the surface of its said substrate at either the toe or heel end thereof. Fig. 10 is taken at the toe end of the substrates and shows such a projecting portion 26 on substrate 9, effectively defining a groove or socket 27 into which the corresponding toe end 28 of the other substrate can first be located when the sole and upper portions are to be interengaged to form a complete shoe, with the faces of the first and second substrates then simply being pressed together to interengage the first and second members. Such an arrangement also aids disengagement, since the sole and upper portions are simply grasped at the other of the toe or heel end, and separated from that end towards the first. The other substrate, here substrate 7, may be provided with a specific shaped extension (not illustrated) at its toe end, in this case, for location with a correspondingly shaped groove or socket 27 for more positive location of the two substrates before pressing their faces together to complete interengagement of the fastener system. Projecting portion 26 may form part of a skirt extending about at least the greater part the edge of its corresponding substrate. A substantially complete skirt also aids in proper location of a sole portion with an upper portion. We prefer to form the skirt on the upper as rain then tends to drain over the skirt on to the ground rather than possibly accumulating between sole and upper, should there be any slight gap at their edges. Providing the skirt in this form, especially when it is a complete or substantially complete skirt, reduces the risk of inadvertent detachment of the sole portion from the upper portion. In addition, the skirt acts as a protective guard for the edge of the sole portion and reduces the risk of the sole portion moving sideways or longitudinally of the shoe relatively to the upper portion, even if there should be any inadvertent detachment. As soon as pressure is again placed on the sole, for example in the next step, sole portion and upper portion are pushed together with the first and second engagement means in proper register with each other to reconnect.

Our interlocking fastener system has been described herein with particular reference to interchangeable upper portions and sole portions of footwear, However, use of the interlocking fastener system may be extended to other circumstances where inter-engagement between fasteners is required.

Claims

1. An inter-engaging fastener system comprising a first substrate provided with a plurality of spaced first engagement members distributed across a surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate provided with a plurality of second engagement members disposed across a surface of the second substrate; the distribution of the first members on the said surface of the first substrate and the distribution of second members across the said surface of the second substrate being such that respective first and second members are adapted to interengage to inter- connect the first substrate with the second substrate; each first member comprising a central projection and a wall surface spaced from, surrounding and facing the projection, the wall surface defining, together with the surface of the projection, a generally ring-shaped groove between said wall surface and the said projection surface; and each second member being of generally cylindrical form, defining a central socket surrounded by a circum-extending wall having an inner surface defining the said socket and an outer surface; a first member and a corresponding second member being dimensioned to inter-engage so that the projection of the first member forms a close fit with the inner surface of the circum-extending wall in the socket of the second member and the circum-extending wall is received in the groove of the first member with a close fit between the inner surface and the outer surface of the circum-extending wall and the respective sides of the groove.

2. A fastener system according to Claim 1, wherein respective said first and second engagement members are not completely rigid but have a degree of flexibility and stretch, so that respective said members may inter-engage even when the thickness of the circum-extending wall of a second engagement member is slightly greater than the thickness of the groove in the corresponding first engagement member and/or the cross-section of the projection of a first engagement member over at least part of its length is slightly greater than the cross-section of the socket in the corresponding second engagement member.

3. A fastener system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the first engagement members are integrally moulded with the first substrate, and wherein the second engagement members are integrally moulded with the second substrate.

4. A fastener system according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the grooves defined in the first engagement members are formed as generally ring-shaped wells in a surface of the first substrate that is otherwise generally flat, with the respective projections located at the centres of each well.

5. A fastener system according to Claim 4, wherein the respective projections do not extend proud of the said generally flat surface.

6. Use of a fastener system according to any preceding Claim to inter-engage a sole portion and an upper portion which together form an item of footwear, one of the first and second substrates being attached to or forming a surface of the sole portion, and the other of the first and second substrates being attached to or forming part of a confronting surface of the upper portion.

7. A combination comprising a first article having a said first substrate, and a second article having a said second substrate, the two said articles being releasably held together to form the said combination by a fastener system according to any of Claims 1 to 5.

8. An item of footwear comprising an upper portion and a sole portion, the sole portion comprising at least an outsole having a surface adapted for contact with the ground in use, the upper portion and the sole portion being interengaged by a fastener system comprising a first substrate provided with a plurality of spaced first engagement members distributed across an engagement surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate provided with a plurality of second engagement members disposed across an engagement surface of the second substrate, one of the said engagement surfaces consisting of a second surface of the sole portion opposite said ground contact surface or of a member attached thereto, and the other said engagement surface consisting of a surface of said upper portion confronting said second surface of the sole portion, or of a member attached to said confronting surface of said upper portion; the distribution of the first engagement members on the said engagement surface of the first substrate and the distribution of second members across the said engagement surface of the second substrate being such that respective first and second engagement members are adapted to interengage to interconnect the sole portion with the upper portion; each first engagement member comprising a central projection and a wall surface spaced from, surrounding and facing the projection, the wall surface defining, together with the surface of the projection,, a generally ring-shaped groove between said wall surface and the said projection surface; and each second engagement member being of generally cylindrical form, defining a central socket surrounded by a circum-extending wall having an inner surface defining the said socket and an outer surface; a first engagement member and a corresponding second engagement member being dimensioned to inter-engage so that the projection of the first engagement member forms a close fit with the inner surface of the circum-extending wall in the socket of the second engagement member and the circum-extending wall is received in the groove of the first engagement member with a close fit between the inner surface and the outer surface of the circum-extending wall and the respective sides of the groove.

9. An item of footwear, according to Claim 8, wherein respective said first and second engagement members are not completely rigid but have a degree of flexibility and stretch; at least one of (a) the thickness of the circum-extending wall of the second engagement member being slightly greater than the thickness of the groove in the corresponding first engagement member and (b) the cross-section of the projection of the first engagement member over at least part of its length being slightly greater than the cross-section of the socket in the corresponding second engagement member; whereby the respective first and second engagement members deform as they inter-engage.

10. An item of footwear, according to Claim 8 or Claim 9, wherein the first engagement members are integrally moulded with the first substrate, and wherein the second engagement members are integrally moulded with the second substrate.

11. An item of footwear, according to Claim 10, wherein the first and second substrates are formed from polyurethane or from a thermoplastic vulcanizate.

12. An item of footwear according to any of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the grooves defined in the first engagement members are formed as generally ring-shaped wells in a surface of the first substrate that is otherwise generally flat, with the respective projections located at the centres of each well.

13. An item of footwear according to Claim 12, wherein the respective projections do not extend proud of the said generally flat surface.

14. An item of footwear according to any of Claims 8 to 13, wherein one of the sole portion and the upper portion is provided with a portion projecting outwardly from the surface of its said substrate at either the toe or heel end thereof with a groove or socket defined therein, to allow location of the corresponding toe or heel end of the other of the sole and upper portions in the said groove or socket to facilitate inter-engagement of respective first and second engagement means following said location.

15. An item of footwear according to Claim 14, wherein the said projecting portion forms part of a skirt extending about at least the greater part of the edge of its corresponding substrate.

16. A replaceable sole portion for an item of footwear according to any of Claims 8 to 15.

17. A replaceable upper portion for an item of footwear according to any of Claims 8 to 15.