Plastic shoe provided with decoration, method of manufacturing same and casting mold

• US 20070101619A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ALSA GmbH
• Original Assignee: ALSA GmbH
• Inventors: Bensing, Willi, Herber, Karl-Heinrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,877,905 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/136
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0063 made at least partially of material that can be recycled
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0072 made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/024 Different layers of the same material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/102 leaving the heel of the foot bare A43B3/106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/18 using vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/3814 Porous moulds adapted for vacuum forming B29C51/365
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/10 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. casting around inserts or for coating articles coating a surface by casting in general B05D1/30, B29C39/126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/0018 Moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 35/146 Uppers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/62 related technologies for production or treatment of textile or flexible materials or products thereof, including footwear

Abstract

A plastic shoe provided with a decoration, a method of manufacturing the shoe, and a casting mold for manufacturing the shoe, is disclosed. The decoration is printed on a polyurethane decorative film which is applied to the surface of the upper part of the plastic shoe with the printed side facing down. To do so, the upper shell of a conventional casting mold is provided on the inside with a fine-pored aluminum foam body to produce plastic shoes. The aluminum foam body is connected to a suction pump. The decorative film is held in the casting mold with the help of the vacuum thereby generated.

Claims

1. A plastic shoe, in particular in a form of a clog, having a sole and an upper part that is joined to the sole, wherein a decorative film is attached to a surface on a top side of the upper part.

2. The plastic shoe according to claim 1, wherein a decoration is printed on a side of the decorative film facing the upper part.

3. The plastic shoe according to claim 1, wherein the decorative film is made of a same material as the upper part.

4. The plastic shoe according to claim 3, wherein the material is a polyurethane.

5. The plastic shoe according to claim 1, wherein a bond between the decorative film and the upper part is free of an adhesive.

12. The plastic shoe according to claim 1, wherein the top side of the upper part is an outside of the upper part.

13. The plastic shoe according to claim 12, wherein the decorative film has a thickness of between approximately 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

6. A method for manufacturing a shoe having a sole and an upper part that is joined to the sole, wherein a decorative film is attached to a surface on a top side of the upper part, wherein the sole and the upper part are produced by introducing a shoe material into a casting mold and foaming it there, the casting mold consisting of at least one upper shell and one lower shell, wherein an inside of the upper shell forms a contour of the top side of the upper part, and wherein the decorative film is arranged on the inside of the upper shell before introducing the shoe material.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the decorative film is held on the inside of the upper shell by a vacuum.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a suction device generating the vacuum has a fine-pored air-permeable metal foam molded body that forms an inner layer of the upper shell.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the metal foam molded body is made of aluminum.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the decorative film is heated before applying it to the upper shell.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the top side of the upper part is an outside of the upper part.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the decorative film has a thickness of between approximately 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the shoe material of the upper part is heated during foaming.

17. The method according to claim 6, wherein the decorative film is attached to the surface on the top side of the upper part without a use of an adhesive.

11. A casting mold for manufacturing a plastic shoe, wherein the casting mold consists of at least two shells wherein at least an inner layer of one of the shells is made of a fine-pored metal foam molded body that is connected to a suction pump to generate a vacuum in the metal foam molded body.

18. The casting mold according to claim 11, wherein the metal foam molded body is made of aluminum.

19. The casting mold according to claim 11, further comprising a core disposed between the two shells.

20. The casting mold according to claim 19, wherein the suction pump is disposed on an outer side of the metal foam molded body and wherein the core is disposed on an inner side of the metal foam molded body.