Method For The Production Of A Shock Absorbing Heel For Footwear And The Heel Produced Thereby

Abstract

A shock absorbing heel for footwear, made of leather, or a material visually similar to leather, and formed by a rubber underheel ( 1 ) with at least one opening ( 7 ) from which there projects an appendix ( 2 ) of a core ( 3 ) made of a resilient plastic material. The material is injected on the underheel in a chamber ( 12 ) delimited by strips ( 4, 5 ) of leather or the like arranged on the underheel and along its edge and connected to the underheel through the core of plastic material.

1 . A shock-absorbing heel for footwear comprising an underheel made of a selected elastomeric material with at least one opening from which there projects an appendix of a core of a relatively resilient polymeric material injected generally above the underheel into a chamber delimited by strips made of leather, or a material visually similar to leather, arranged above the underheel along its edge and connected to the underheel by the core.  
   
   
       2 . The heel set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the core incorporates an insert made of a relatively light polymeric material.  
   
   
       3 . The heel set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the insert has an opening in a position generally opposite the at least one opening of the underheel.  
   
   
       4 . The heel set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the core, together with a sole, defines a chamber in a position generally opposite the at least one opening of the underheel having an air cushion performing an auxiliary shock-absorbing function.  
   
   
       5 . The heel set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the underheel has a plurality of openings from which there project respective appendices of the core.  
   
   
       6 . The heel set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the openings are arranged in a generally symmetrical fashion.  
   
   
       7 . The heel set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of leather strips arranged, respectively, along the forward edge of the underheel and, bent generally in an arcuate shape along the lateral and rearward edges of the underheel.  
   
   
       8 . A method for producing a shock-absorbing heel for footwear, which comprises the steps of: 
 i. molding an underheel made of an elastomeric material and having at least one opening;    ii. arranging the underheel within a mold having a shape generally equal to that of the underheel and a height substantially equal to the height of the heel to be produced, the mold being provided with a lowered bottom in a position corresponding to the opening;    iii. arranging strips of leather, or a selected material visually similar to leather, generally above the underheel to abut side walls of the mold; and    iv. injecting molten, relatively resilient polymeric material above the underheel into a chamber delimited by the strips.    
   
   
       9 . The method set forth in  claim 8 , wherein an insert is arranged in the chamber before a relatively light polymeric material is injected into it.  
   
   
       10 . The method set forth in  claim 9 , wherein the insert has an opening in a position generally opposite the at least one opening of the underheel.  
   
   
       11 . The method set forth in  claim 8 , wherein a chamber, suitable for housing an air cushion and delimited on its upper side by a sole, is formed on the core.