Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – Treating hollow article
Patent
1997-06-02
1999-04-20
Bennett, Henry
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
Treating hollow article
34442, 34104, F26B 700
Patent
active
058946802
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process and a heating device for thermoforming the interior of a boot having a rigid external upper.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Indeed, such boots, for example, ski boots, or mountain boots, ice skate boots, in-line roller skate boots, etc., must comprise an external upper generally constituted by a shell made out of a rigid plastic material, but which could also be made of thick and rigid leather for mountain boots, for example. Such upper must hold the foot-ankle assembly and, in particular, prevent twisting of the ankle and enable a proper transmission of the forces exerted by the foot, either for steering the ski or the gliding board, or for tilting stability when hill-walking.
Such uppers are thus more or less rigid and, therefore, very uncomfortable.
To improve the comfort of such boots, they must comprise an internal fitting generally constituted by a removable liner and made of more flexible materials such as foams.
Such internal fittings are provided to envelop a certain type of foot. Unfortunately, everyone's foot is more or less different from the "standard" foot which led to the construction of the internal fitting. Because the rigid external upper of the boot cannot deform, painful friction points are often created for the user's foot, regardless of the flexibility of the internal fitting.
To remedy these drawbacks, it is known, especially for the ski boot, to make the internal fitting out of a thermoformable material such as polyethylene which, once brought to a temperature of about 120.degree.-140.degree. C., can be configured according to the user's foot and to the external shell, until it perfectly assumes the shape of the user's foot.
Such a process is described, for example, in EP 004 829. This patent teaches to heat the internal fitting, by means of an electrical circuit incorporated therein, after the foot has been positioned inside the boot. Such a process has practically proven unrealistic and very expensive.
Other solutions proposed by JP 246 876, for example, consist of heating the internal fitting after removing it from the boot, either simultaneously from the inside and outside after placing it in an appropriate heating enclosure, or only from the outside, until it reaches the desired uniform thermoforming temperature, on the order of 120.degree.-140.degree. C.
These solutions are not satisfactory either, because they have numerous drawbacks: within the boot; 120.degree. C., and when repositioning it within the boot; reheating the fitting; the boot; due to the necessary manipulations.
Furthermore, it is neither conceivable to place the boot assembly within the heating enclosure because, on the one hand, the materials constituting the rigid external upper would run the risk of being damaged by the heat and, on the other hand, this external upper would loose its rigidity properties under the effect of such heat, and the thermoforming of the internal fitting would then no longer be justified.
It is also known to use heating apparatuses that are generally constituted by a pipe sending hot air within the ski boots, in order to dry them or reheat them slightly before use. Such apparatuses are not designed for a temperature above 40.degree. and could not be applied directly to a thermoforming of internal fittings at a temperature on the order of 120.degree.-140.degree. C. without risks of damaging the latter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages, and to propose an improved process and device for heating boot internal fittings, which allow for the thermoforming thereof while being compact and inexpensive, as well as easy and quick to implement, without requiring manipulations that are time-consuming, tedious, and capable of causing errors.
This object is achieved by the process for heating at least one portion of the internal fitting of a boot having a rigid external upper according to the invention, du
REFERENCES:
patent: 2446234 (1948-08-01), Lieber
patent: 3299529 (1967-01-01), Roberts et al.
patent: 4200993 (1980-05-01), Blanc et al.
patent: 4787153 (1988-11-01), Chen
patent: 4964229 (1990-10-01), Laberge
patent: 5085289 (1992-02-01), Guindon
Dalvy Olivier
Gorliez Jean-Philippe
Bennett Henry
Gravini Steve
Salomon S.A.
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