专利摘要:
The invention is a safety shoe (1), particularly suited to be used by truck drivers, comprising a sole (2), an upper (3) connected to the sole (2) and open at the back at the level of the area designed to accommodate the heel of the foot, and a safety toe cap (4). The shoe (1) comprises also a heel made of a flexible material (31) associated with the sole (2) and comprising a shaped body (311) whose outline is suited to envelop the heel of the foot. In said shaped body (311) it is possible to identify a central area (311a) associated with the sole (2) and two lateral elements (312) suitable for the connection with the upper (3) and arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis (Y) of development of the shoe (1). At least one of said lateral elements (312) comprises at least one strip (312a) made of an elastic material and provided with a first end associated with the upper (3) and a second end, opposite the first end, associated with the lateral element (312) of the flexible heel (31). Said elastic strip (312a) is configured in such a way that it stretches elastically and allows the flexible heel (31) to be moved away from the upper (3). The flexible heel (31) is furthermore configured to alternatively assume a first configuration of use (U1), in which it is lifted with respect to the sole (2) and is suited to envelop the heel of the foot, and a second configuration of use (U2), in which it is bent against the sole (2) in such a way that it can be positioned under the heel of the foot and in such a way that the shoe (1) assumes the configuration of a slipper.
公开号:EP3711619A1
申请号:EP20163617.2
申请日:2020-03-17
公开日:2020-09-23
发明作者:Claudio Alberto Bucchieri;Karl TATZ
申请人:Routier Group Srl;
IPC主号:A43B7-00
专利说明:
[0001] The invention concerns a safety shoe which is particularly suited to be used by truck drivers.
[0002] In the haulage sector, more specifically in the road haulage sector, it is known that truck drivers, in order to be able to do their job, need to spend many hours driving their means of transport in the seated position and, furthermore, have to load and unload the goods they transport to the various production facilities, usually companies, warehouses and plants of any type.
[0003] More specifically, when the transported goods comprise heavy and/or dangerous materials, the required handling operations may involve the risk of accidents for the truck driver, for example the crushing of the toes caused by cartons or crates on pallet trucks.
[0004] Furthermore, another risk should not be underestimated, meaning the risk of the truck driver slipping on wet or icy surfaces on the road, inside the premises where the transported goods are loaded or unloaded, at fuel filling stations etc.
[0005] For this reason, the latest standards establish that truck drivers must wear safety shoes during work, more specifically during goods loading and unloading operations.
[0006] These shoes must necessarily offer a high degree of safety, and furthermore they conveniently need to be comfortable and allow the feet to breathe, so as to avoid any discomfort to the lower limbs due to the long hours spent driving.
[0007] Shoes of the known type are those described in the patent document US 6367171 . These shoes, however, pose some drawbacks.
[0008] First of all, they do not guarantee the safety of the truck driver during work.
[0009] Furthermore, to disadvantage, in order to be able to put on these shoes or to take them off the user needs to intervene directly, and manually widen the opening through which the foot is introduced in the shoe by acting on the ring positioned at the back of the shoe itself.
[0010] Other shoes of the type known among truck drivers comprise special types of slippers provided with a rigid sole and a rigid protective toe cap.
[0011] Said slippers are comfortable, being open at the back and provided, always at the back, with a strip connected to the upper through coupling means that are such as to allow it to be tilted towards the front part of the shoe and obtain the configuration of a slipper.
[0012] These coupling means serve a very important function in this type of shoes, because they guarantee the possibility to transform the shoe from a slipper into a sandal.
[0013] The above mentioned shoes, however, pose some drawbacks.
[0014] More specifically, a first drawback of this type of shoes lies in that the user needs to remove his/her foot from the shoe in order to allow the coupling means to perform their tilting action and thus transform the shoe from a slipper into a sandal and vice versa.
[0015] To disadvantage, this drawback forces the truck driver to stop and interrupt his/her trip in order to switch between the two configurations of the shoe and thus transform it.
[0016] More specifically, this inconvenience takes place when a truck driver inadvertently starts driving his/her truck wearing the shoe in the slipper configuration and then must stop in order to transform it into a sandal and be able to keep driving in total safety.
[0017] Another drawback of this type of shoes lies in the slipper/sandal configuration thereof which, if on the one hand allows the truck driver to obtain a good level of comfort, on the other hand is not seen as a good solution by the safety managers or surveillance staff of production plants or warehouses, who usually consider these shoes not compliant with the safety requirements and thus do not allow truck drivers wearing said slippers/sandals to access those buildings. Therefore truck drivers, who need to access the premises in order to load or unload the goods, are forced to change their shoes and wear standard safety shoes before entering the premises.
[0018] Once having loaded/unloaded the goods, and before resuming his/her drive, the driver must change shoes again and replace the standard safety shoes with the slippers/sandals, if he/she wants to benefit from the level of comfort provided by the use of said slippers/sandals when driving.
[0019] It is evident that these shoe changing operations involve detrimental time wastes during work.
[0020] This inconvenience is even more annoying when the truck driver is a courier who during his/her workday has to make many deliveries and try to optimize time in order to meet all the deadlines.
[0021] The present invention intends to overcome all the limitations and the drawbacks indicated above.
[0022] More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe that complies with the safety requirements established by standard EN 20345:2011 concerning the use of safety shoes inside production facilities or warehouses.
[0023] It is another object of the present invention to provide a shoe that is extremely comfortable, so as to allow, for example, a truck driver to comfortably drive his/her truck for long periods.
[0024] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe that can be quickly put on by the user.
[0025] The objects mentioned above are achieved by a safety shoe made according to the main claim.
[0026] Further characteristics of the shoe are described in the dependent claims.
[0027] The said objects, together with the advantages illustrated below, are highlighted in the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which is provided by way of non-limiting example, making reference to the attached drawings, wherein:Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of an example, not to be considered as a limiting example, of the shoe according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, with the flexible heel in a first configuration of use; Figure 2 shows an axonometric view of the shoe illustrated in Figure 1 with the flexible heel in a second configuration of use; Figure 3 shows a top view of the shoe illustrated in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows the shoe of Figure 3 in the second configuration of use; Figure 5 shows an axonometric view of the shoe of Figure 1 with the flexible heel moved elastically away from the upper.
[0028] The shoe that is the subject of the invention is shown in Figures from 1 to 5, where it is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1.
[0029] Said shoe 1 is a safety shoe, particularly suited to be used by drivers, couriers, truck drivers and anyone who needs to spend many hours driving a vehicle in the seated position.
[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the shoe 1 comprises a sole 2 that allows the shoe 1 to be rested on an underlying surface, an upper 3 connected to the sole 2 and open at the back at the level of the area designed to accommodate the heel of the foot. The upper 3 defines an inner volume suited to accommodate the foot of a person who is wearing said shoe 1.
[0031] The sole 2 is preferably made of a rigid material such as, for example, rubber, polyurethane or another material, provided that this material is non-slip, antistatic, resistant to hydrocarbons, acids, oils, in compliance with the EU standard mentioned above.
[0032] The shoe 1 is preferably provided with an anatomic insole 7 arranged on top of the sole 2, which makes the shoe 1 more comfortable.
[0033] The shoe 1 furthermore comprises a safety toe cap 4 arranged in such a way as to cover the area intended to accommodate the toes and at least part of the forefoot and to protect them.
[0034] The toe cap 4 is made of a rigid material and has preferably the shape of a shell with a curved outline, which extends over both sides of the foot until reaching the sole 2, with its concave part facing towards the area of the inner volume of the shoe 1 intended to accommodate the toes and at least part of the forefoot, in such a way as to absorb any crushing forces and transmit them directly to the ground, thus protecting the foot from injuries.
[0035] Said toe cap 4 is made of a material selected from among steel, aluminium, plastic or other materials complying with standard EN 20345:2011 concerning safety shoes.
[0036] The toe cap 4 is preferably but not necessarily made of steel.
[0037] It cannot be excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the toe cap 4 may be different from the toe cap described above, provided that it is a safety toe cap in compliance with the above mentioned standard.
[0038] The sole 2 preferably comprises a midsole made of a sheet of metal or of another material resistant to perforation, suited to protect the foot sole from nails or other sharp objects.
[0039] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper 3 of the shoe 1 comprises a heel made of a flexible material 31 and associated with the sole 2.
[0040] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible heel 31 is also associated with the upper 3 of the shoe 1.
[0041] It should be noted that, according to the technical jargon in use in the footwear sector, the term "heel of a shoe" indicates the part of the shoe corresponding to the homonymic part of the foot.
[0042] Preferably, the flexible heel 31 of the invention has a substantially laminar shape, so as to increase its flexibility and allow it to be easily bent, and to obtain some of the advantages that are described here below.
[0043] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, to further increase the flexibility of the heel 31, the latter is made of fabric.
[0044] Advantageously, in fact, fabric is a flexible and at the same time resistant material, which makes it possible to bend said heel 31 as described below and, furthermore, to guarantee the resistance of the heel 31 and limit its deterioration following the prolonged use of the shoe 1.
[0045] Furthermore, fabric is a material that is well suited to come into contact with the skin, as in this case, where the flexible heel 31 is in contact with the foot.
[0046] It cannot be excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, the flexible heel 31 may be made of a material different from fabric such as, for example, leather or another material, provided that this material is flexible and at the same time resistant to wear.
[0047] Thanks to its presence and configuration, said flexible heel 31 can alternatively assume the following configurations: a first configuration of use U1, in which the flexible heel 31 is lifted with respect to the sole 2 of the shoe 1 and is suited to envelop the heel of the user's foot, as shown in Figures 1 and 3; a second configuration of use U2, in which the flexible heel 31 is bent against the sole 2 in such a way that it can be positioned under the heel of the foot of the person who is wearing the shoe 1 and in such a way that said shoe 1 assumes the configuration of a slipper, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.
[0048] Advantageously, in the first configuration of use U1 the shoe 1 offers a high level of safety, since it has a good fitting stability, prevents the foot from slipping and, thanks to the toe cap 4, protects the toes from accidents.
[0049] In the second configuration of use U2, instead, the shoe 1, though maintaining a high level of safety, serves also as a slipper, advantageously guaranteeing the maximum comfort during use.
[0050] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, in the second configuration of use U2 the flexible heel 31 is bent according to a direction which substantially corresponds to the longitudinal axis Y of development of the shoe 1, that is, the axis defined by the alignment of the tip 5 and the heel 6 of the shoe 1.
[0051] Furthermore, in the second configuration of use U2, thanks to the combination of said bending movement and the flexibility of the heel 31, the latter is arranged with its main surface in contact with the sole 2 or the anatomic insole 7.
[0052] Advantageously, said characteristic allows the flexible heel 31 to adapt to the morphology of the foot sole, so that it is even more comfortable for the user of the shoe 1.
[0053] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible heel 31 comprises a shaped body 311 whose outline is suited to envelop the heel of the foot and in which it is possible to identify a central area 311a associated with the sole 2 and two lateral elements 312 suitable for the connection with the upper 3, as shown in Figure 1.
[0054] Said lateral elements 312 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis Y of development of the shoe 1.
[0055] Furthermore, said lateral elements 312 are configured to envelop the user's foot, in particular the user's heel, laterally when the flexible heel 31 is in the first configuration of use U1, in such a way as to protect the foot and prevent it from accidentally slipping out of the shoe 1 laterally.
[0056] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, each lateral element 312 comprises one or more strips 312a made of an elastic material, which are described in greater detail below.
[0057] It should be underlined that the lateral elements 312 can be made either with the same material used for the shaped body 311 or with a different material. Preferably, said lateral elements 312 are made with the same material used for the shaped body 311 of the flexible heel 31 and, furthermore, they form a single body together with the latter, as shown in the figures.
[0058] The single-body configuration makes the shoe 1 more comfortable and at the same time more resistant to use, thanks to the absence of seams or coupling elements between the shaped body and the lateral elements.
[0059] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible heel 31 comprises one or more through openings 31a, which are preferably defined in the area of said heel 31 defined in proximity to the sole 2, as shown in Figure 1.
[0060] Said through openings 31a are preferably two and are symmetrically opposite each other with respect to the longitudinal axis Y, in such a way that the flexible heel 31 is forced to assume a T-shaped configuration, in which the lateral elements 312 represent the two parts of the horizontal bar of the letter T, meaning the two half-bars of the letter T, while the vertical bar of the letter T is represented by the central area 311a of the shaped body 311, as shown in Figure 3.
[0061] Thanks to said through openings 31a, the foot, in particular the heel of said foot, can breathe.
[0062] Said openings 31a furthermore make it easier to bend the flexible heel 31, as they lighten its structure and increase the degrees of freedom that can be obtained during the bending of the heel 31 itself.
[0063] It cannot be excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, said lateral elements 312 may be arranged in a different manner and/or that said lateral elements 312 may correspond to portions of the shaped body 311 defined along the lateral perimeter of the central area 311a.
[0064] Again, it cannot be excluded that according to variant embodiments of the invention said through openings 31a may be absent.
[0065] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, each of said lateral elements 312 comprises one or more strips 312a made of an elastic material, as shown in Figure 5.
[0066] More specifically, the elastic strip 312a has a first end associated with the upper 3 and a second end, opposite said first end, associated with the corresponding lateral element 312 of the flexible heel 31.
[0067] Preferably, said elastic strips 312a are in the shape of ribbons.
[0068] Said special elastic configuration of the lateral elements 312, in particular of the elastic strips 312a, advantageously makes it possible to partially move the shaped body 311 of the flexible heel 31 away from the upper 3, increasing the size of the opening designed to allow the foot to be introduced in the shoe 1.
[0069] This characteristic, furthermore, allows the user both to introduce his/her foot more easily in the shoe and put it on, and to withdraw his/her foot from the shoe with no need to intervene manually on the shoe itself, as it happens, instead, with the shoes known in the art.
[0070] Furthermore, the special configuration of said strips 312a makes it possible to quickly switch from the first configuration of use U1 to the second configuration of use U2, with no need to completely withdraw the foot from the shoe, as is the case with the shoes of the known art.
[0071] Advantageously, furthermore, the configuration of the elastic strips 312a of the present invention is such that they can be stretched elastically according to the longitudinal axis Y, independently of the elasticity of the upper 3 itself. As can be seen in Figure 5, in fact, said elastic strips 312a and the upper 3 do not form a single body, so that the elastic elongation of said strips, and thus the movement of the flexible heel 31 away from the upper 3, is independent of the elasticity of the upper itself.
[0072] This advantage is particularly useful in those variant embodiments of the shoe 1 in which the upper 3 is made of a rigid or semi-rigid material.
[0073] In fact, said variant embodiment comprising an upper 3 made of a rigid or semi-rigid material and at least one elastic strip 312a, preferably two elastic strips 312a, guarantees a higher protection of the front part of the foot, which is protected by the toe cap 4 and also by said rigid/semi-rigid upper and, furthermore, thanks to the strips 312a, allows the user to put on or take off the shoe 1 or to switch from the first configuration of use U1 to the second configuration of use U2 quickly and with no need to intervene manually.
[0074] It cannot be excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, in addition to the above mentioned strips, also the lateral elements 312 and/or said central area 311a may be at least partially or completely made of an elastic material.
[0075] Furthermore, it cannot be excluded that, according to a variant embodiment of the invention, the lateral elements 312 and the corresponding elastic strips 312a may form a single body made of an elastic material, preferably in the shape of a ribbon, configured in such a way that it stretches elastically and allows the movement of the flexible heel 31 away from the upper 3. Said single body has one end associated with the upper 3 and the opposite end associated with the central area 311a of the shaped body 311 of the flexible heel 31.
[0076] Furthermore, it cannot be excluded that, according to an alternative embodiment of the invention, only one of the lateral elements 312 may comprise one or more of said elastic strips 312a and thus that the remaining lateral element 312 without said strip 312a may be connected to the upper 3 directly or through joining means of the type known per se.
[0077] Going back to the preferred embodiment of the invention, said flexible heel 31 of the shoe 1 comprises an anatomic pad, not shown in the figures.
[0078] Said anatomic pad preferably consists of a pad made of a silicone material or another shock-absorbing material.
[0079] The anatomic pad is arranged on the flexible heel 31 in such a way as to be facing towards the inner volume of the shoe 1, meaning facing towards the heel of the foot when the foot is inserted in the shoe and the flexible heel 31 is in the first configuration of use U1.
[0080] In this way, the anatomic pad advantageously makes it possible to reduce the friction between the flexible heel 31 and the foot, making the shoe more comfortable.
[0081] Furthermore, when the flexible heel 31 is in the second configuration of use U2, said anatomic pad is arranged against the sole 2 and advantageously serves as an anatomic pad for the heel of the user's foot, reducing pressure, absorbing any shocks, limiting the risk of the foot slipping and further increasing the comfort offered by the shoe that is the subject of the invention.
[0082] It cannot be excluded that, in alternative embodiments of the invention, the flexible heel 31 may comprise a second anatomic pad which faces towards the outside of the shoe 1 when the flexible heel 31 is in the first configuration of use U1, in such a way that it is positioned against the sole 2 and faces towards the underside of the heel of the user's foot when the flexible heel 31 is in the second configuration of use U2, thus obtaining the advantages mentioned above.
[0083] Again, it cannot be excluded that, according to alternative embodiments of the invention, one or more of said anatomic pads may be absent.
[0084] Therefore, based on the description provided above, the shoe that is the subject of the invention achieves all the set objects.
[0085] In particular, the shoe of the invention is a shoe that in the first configuration of use meets all the safety requirements established by standard EN 20345:2011 concerning personal protection devices PPE.
[0086] Furthermore, especially in the second configuration of use, said shoe offers optimal comfort levels.
[0087] Again, thanks to the special configuration of the flexible heel and of the elastic strips, the shoe of the invention can be quickly put on by the user while it is also possible to quickly switch from one configuration to the other, since it is not necessary to completely withdraw one's foot from the shoe to obtain said transformation.
权利要求:
Claims (7)
[0001] Safety shoe (1), particularly suited to be used by truck drivers, comprising a sole (2), an upper (3) connected to said sole (2) and open at the back at the level of the area designed to accommodate the heel of the foot, a safety toe cap (4),characterized in that it comprises a heel made of a flexible material (31) associated with said sole (2), said flexible heel (31) comprising a shaped body (311) whose outline is suited to envelop the heel of said foot, wherein in said shaped body (311) it is possible to identify a central area (311a) associated with said sole (2) and two lateral elements (312) suitable for the connection with the upper (3) and arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis (Y) of development of said shoe (1), wherein at least one of said lateral elements (312) comprises at least one strip (312a) made of an elastic material and provided with a first end associated with said upper (3) and a second end, opposite said first end, associated with said lateral element (312) of said flexible heel (31), said elastic strip (312a) being configured so that it stretches elastically and allows said flexible heel (31) to be moved away from said upper (3), said flexible heel (31) being configured to alternatively assume one of the following configurations:
- a first configuration of use (U1), in which said flexible heel (31) is lifted with respect to said sole (2) and is suited to envelop the heel of said foot;
- a second configuration of use (U2), in which said flexible heel (31) is bent against said sole (2) in such a way that it can be positioned under the heel of said foot and in such a way that said shoe (1) assumes the configuration of a slipper.
[0002] Shoe (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each of said lateral elements (312) comprises one or more of said elastic strips (312a).
[0003] Shoe (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said elastic strip (312a) has the shape of a ribbon.
[0004] Shoe (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said flexible heel (31) comprises one or more through openings (31a), said flexible heel (31) being preferably made of fabric.
[0005] Shoe (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that in said flexible heel (31) it is possible to identify two of said through openings (31a) symmetrically opposite to each other with respect to the longitudinal axis (Y) of development of said shoe (1), said through openings being such that said flexible heel (31) is caused to assume a T-shaped configuration in which the horizontal bars of the letter T represent said lateral elements (312).
[0006] Shoe (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said toe cap (4) is made in the shape of a shell with its concave part facing towards the area designed to accommodate said foot, said toe cap (4) being preferably made of steel.
[0007] Shoe (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an anatomic pad belonging to said flexible heel (31) and facing towards the inner volume of said shoe (1) defined by said upper (3) when said flexible heel (31) is in the first configuration of use (U1), said anatomic pad being configured to reduce the friction between said flexible heel (31) and the heel of said foot, said shoe (1) preferably comprising a second anatomic pad belonging to said flexible heel (31) and facing towards the outside of said shoe (1) when said flexible heel (31) is in the first configuration of use (U1).
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同族专利:
公开号 | 公开日
IT201900003977A1|2020-09-19|
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