GB2339670A

GB2339670A - Internal footwear cooling and moisture expelling device

Info

Publication number: GB2339670A
Application number: GB9815817A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Holburn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-07-22
Filing date: 1998-07-22
Publication date: 2000-02-09
Also published as: GB9815817D0

Description

2339670 Title: Internal footwear cooling and moisture expelling device.

Background: The present invention relates generally to a device to cool the foot and reduce the moisture content inside footwear by walking.

More often than not a person walking long distances finds that his/her feet warm up because of movement between foot and footwear. In these circumstances a foot will tend to sweat. Conventionally designed footwear retains the majority of this moisture.

The internal lining of footwear becomes ordorous and degrades at a higher rate if it's moisture content is high. A sweat covered enclosed foot and accompanying sock are uncomfortable.

Me enclosed invention provides a device to overcome these problems by continuously cooling the foot and transporting sweat produced into a channel of expelled air.

Aim:

An aim of the present invention is to define a device which is capable of circulating air through footwear to enhance moisture and heat removal rate from a hot foot.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a device which is of simple construction, easy to manufacture and inexpensive.

Yet a further aim of the invention is to provide a device which can be easily incorporated into conventional footwear which reduces fabric ordor and material degradation.

Description of the invention: The present invention provides a device for circulating air though the inside of footwear. This invention is applicable to all footwear including walking boot, running shoe, ski boot and everyday wear.

The device consist of several components which may be incorporated into a conventional footwear design.

The footwear consistg of breathable sections of material or ducts to the inner compartment. This allows cool air from the atmosphere to enter into the footwear.

This device consists of a ribbed inner lining. This creates channels inbetween the ankle/ foot and lining, allowing air to flow through and around the foot to the inner sole.

The device consists of a modified inner sole typically constructed in foam or rubber. This sole maintains all of the conventional sole features. It provides a top griping surface and is made of a firm flexible material to provide comfit.

This sole has several cylindrical pores covering part or all of the surface.

The upper surface of the inner sole contains several grooves across it's width to allow air molecules to travel freely below the foot. The lower surface of the inner sole contains several protruding ribs across the width of the sole. These ribs may be cylindrical or rectanglar shaped bodies which when sealed to the base of the inner sole form protruding ribs. These ribs may be of a rubber type material or a material which both deforms under a force and regains its shape when the force is removed.

The perimeter of the inner sole and the lower protruding edge of the sole's ribs are sealed typically by a gum to the boot inner lining or lower sole. This creates several cavities in the spaces in-between the inner sole's ribbed sections and the firm lower sole. The inner sole's pores connect the footwear compartment to these cavities. These cavities may be isolated or connected to each other by a channel. These channel's allow air flow below the inner sole from one cavity to another.

Some of the cavities contain a cylindrical expulsion duct typical constructed in plastic. This duct connects a cavity to the surrounding atmosphere. The duct exit is located on the footwear outer surface above the firm lower sole.

These ducts typically may contain a plastic non-return valve and a mesh screen. The non-return valve allows air to pass out of the duct from a cavity but will prevent air flow in the opposite direction. The mesh prevents dirt from blocking the non-return valve and ducting. Part or all of these ducts are removable from the boot to allow it to be either cleaned or replaced. There may be a plug or cover to seal the open atmospheric end of the duct.

Whilst walking, your body weight is transferred from one foot to the other. As body weight is exerted on a foot a force passes through the foot to the ground. This force creates a seal between the foot and the inner sole. This force also causes the inner sole to both compress and flex towards the ground. The ribs on the base of the inner sole compress. This causes the air filled cavities below the inner sole to cavitate. This warm air is forced out of the cavities to either an adjacent cavity or through the external connecting duct and non-return valve.

As weight is transferred from this foot to the other foot, the compressed inner sole's ribs expand and the inner sole flexes back to retain it original shape. This allows the cavities below the inner sole to reform. This creates a vacuum in the reformed cavity causing the non-return valve to close. As the foot is raised up the force maintaining the foot - inner sole seal is also removed. Warm air from around the foot flows through the inner sole's pores and into the cavities below.

Thus, cool air is drawn into the footwear compartment to replace the expelled warm air. If required this process can be prevented by plugging the air exit ducts.

It would be convenient hereafter to describe embodiments of the device with further reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be appreciated that the particularity of these drawings in the associated description is not to be understood as superseding the generality of the preceding broad description of the invention.

Drawings:

Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of a typical walking boot incorporating the device defining the ribbed or meshed lined inner(l) the breathable lining sections(2) the enclosed air cavities between the inner sole and lower sole(3), the sealed location of the inner sole to the inner lining(4) and the location of a typical external connecting duct(5).

Figure 2 shows an alternative cross sectional view of the device in the direction of section Y-Y. This view shows the internal cavities(3), the boot lining(l), lower sole(8), inner sole(6) including the ribbed lower surface(l 1), and the cylindrical breathing pores(9).

Figure 3 shows a plan elevation of the inner sole(6) showing the cylindrical breathing pores(9) and the mesh or ribbed type surface area(10).

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view of an external duct(5), the mesh screen (12), the flexible plastic flapper(13) and stop(14) which form a non return type valve.

The figures shown are not to scale and indicate a typically configuration of the embodiment of the device

Claims

Claims:

1. A new footwear cooling device which is capable of circulating air through footwear to enhance moisture and heat removal rate from a hot foot which includes a combination of the following elements: a ribbed or meshed inner lining, breathable sections of lining, an inner sole sealed to the inner lining or lower sole, the inner sole containing cylindrical breathing pores and elements protruding from the lower surface, these elements create interconnecting cavities between the inner sole and lower sole; and external connecting ducts. The upper surface perimeter of the inner sole is sealed to the footwear lining. The external connecting ducts being made of plastic tube and containing a non return valve and mesh guard.

2. A device as described in claim 1 where the lower surface of the inner sole consists of rectangular protruding elements.

3. A device as described in claim 1 where the lower surface of the inner sole consists of cylindrical protruding elements.

4. A device as described in claim 1 2 and 3 where the inner sole's breathing pores upper cross sectional area is less than the lower cross sectional area forming a cylindrical - conical composite shaped pore

5. A device as described in any of the above claims where at least one external duct connects the cavities below the inner sole through the footwear lining.

6. A device as described in any of the above claims where the breathable lined sections of the footwear are on the upper surface of the main external footwear lining at a reasonable distance from the lower sole.