GB2043429A

GB2043429A - Tongues for footwear

Info

Publication number: GB2043429A
Application number: GB8005360A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Adidas Fabrique de Chaussures de Sport SARL
Current assignee: Adidas Fabrique de Chaussures de Sport SARL
Priority date: 1979-02-16
Filing date: 1980-02-18
Publication date: 1980-10-08
Also published as: FR2448871A1; ES255495Y; IT1140618B; IT8019958A0; ES255495U; DE3005705C2; DE3005705A1; FR2448871B1; IT8019958A1; GB2043429B

Abstract

A tongue for footwear comprises a free-end part 2 of increased thickness connected to the rest of the tongue over arcuate zone 4. The padded part 2 is capable of protecting the instep efficiently, especially in sports footwear such as football boots. The step at zone 4 can engage the free edge of the footwear upper to hold the position of the tongue. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tongues for footwear The present invention relates to a tongue for footwear, especially for sport, usable in particular but not exclusively for boots for football, rugby and similar sports.

Traditional tongues for footwear of this type are generally formed in one piece and comprise an upper wider part in the zone of the instep.

It is often found during use that the tongue is displaced by sliding relative to the upper of the boot which in turn gives in a period of time deformation of the boot and, further, removes from the instep the protection offered by the tongue. This constitutes a serious disadvantage in sports such as football in which the instep and the forward part of the angle are particularly exposed to contact with opposing players, especially during kicking the ball.

The present invention is intended to provide a new tongue avoiding the disadvantages of traditional tongues and offering improved protection at the level of the instep.

The tongue according to the invention is characterised essentially in that it comprises a widened upper part having an increased thickness connected to the rest of the tongue by a zone of reduced thickness extending over the whole width of the tongue and having a curved shape of which the concavity in the axial zone of the tongue is directed upwardly.

In a first embodiment of the invention, said zone of reduced thickness is formed by a zone of sewing, the upper widened part and the lower part of the tongue advantageously each having in their zone of connection a peripheral contour corresponding to the curved shape desired for the sewn zone.

In this embodiment, the increased thickness of the upper zone may be obtained by incorporation of a protective padding or by assembly of two layers of material, the internal layer being advantageously made of a material increasing the friction with the instep.

In a second embodiment, the upper part of the tongue comprises a padded zone of which the lower contour has a shape corresponding to the curved shape desired for the zone of increased thickness. In this embodiment, the lower part of the tongue comprises advantageously one or more padded zones of which the shape of the upper contours correspond to the curved shape desired for the zone of reduced thickness between the upper part and lower part of the tongue.

The present invention also has as its object by way of new industrial product, footwear, notably sports footwear such as for example boots for football, rugby or similar sports, comprising a tongue having the structure described above.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and not by limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows schematically a boot for football or similar sports comprising a tongue according to the invention; Figure 2 is a face view of a first embodiment of the tongue according to the invention; Figure 3 shows a rear view of the same tongue; Figure 4 is a section along IV/IV of Fig. 2; Figure 5 shows in face view a second embodiment of the tongue according to the invention; Figure 6 is a section along VI/VI of Fig. 5, and Figure 7 is a section along VII/VII of Fig.

5.

The tongue according to a first embodiment of the invention designated overall by 1 comprises an upper part 2 and a lower part 3 separated by a sewn zone 4.

As seen in Figs. 2 and 3, the lower peripheral profile of the upper part 2 and the upper peripheral profile of the lower part 3 have curved contours corresponding in such a manner as to enable assembly by sewing, the zone of sewing 4 having an undulated curved shape of which the concavity is directed in the upward direction in its central zone.

Owing to the particular shape of this zone of sewing 4 which, in the lateral parts is at a level and corresponds to the conformation of the upper edge 5 of the side part of the boot (Fig. 1), there is ensured during use a perfect axial support of the tongue avoiding any lateral sliding which would risk inconvenience to the user and expose the instep to contact with an opposing player.

As seen especially in Figs. 3 and 4, the upper part 2 offers a protective padding which may, for example, be obtained by making this upper part 2 by assembly of two layers of material.

It is also possible to interpose between the two layers forming the upper part 2 of the tongue a padding material or similar further increasing the protection in this zone of the foot.

In the embodiments shown in Figs. 5 to 7 the tongue according to the invention indicated generally by 10 comprises in its upper part a closed padded zone 11 of which the lower profile 11 a has a curved contour. Below this padded zone there is provided a zone 1 2 of undulating shape of reduced thickness of which the concavity in the axial zone is directed upwardly.

The lower part of the tongue comprises a padded closed axial zone 1 3 extending on the major part of the lower part of the tongue, and also two lateral zones which are padded and closed 14. The profiles of the upper contours 1 3a and 1 4a respectively of the padded zones 1 3 and 1 4 correspond to the lower profile 11 a of the padded zone 11 so as to provide between the upper and lower parts of the tongue a zone 1 2 having the desired shape.

As for the sewing zone 4 of the first embodiment, this zone 1 2 is arranged to be at the level of the upper edge 5 of the side of the boot, thus ensuring as already indicated a perfect axial support of the tongue, the instep being protected from shocks by the excess thickness of the upper part of the tongue.

Claims

1. A tongue for footwear, especially sports footwear, characterised in that it comprises an upper wider part of increased thickness connected with the rest of the tongue by a zone of reduced thickness extending over the whole width of the tongue and having a curved shape of which the concavity in the axial zone of the tongue is directed upwardly.

2. Tongue according to Claim 1, characterised in that said zone of reduced thickness is formed by a sewn zone.

3. Tongue according to Claim 2, characterised in that the wider upper part and the lower part each have in their zone of connection a peripheral contour corresponding to the desired shape of the sewing zone.

4. Tongue according to Claim 1, characterised in that the upper part comprises a padded zone of which the lower contour has a shape corresponding to the curved shape desired for the zone of reduced thickness.

5. Tongue according to Claim 4, characterised in that the lower part comprises one or more padded zones of which the shape of the upper contour corresponds to the curved shape desired for said zone of reduced thickness.

6. Footwear characterised in that it comprises a tongue according to any of the preceding claims.

7. Footwear according to Claim 6, characterised in that the lateral parts of the zone of reduced thickness between the upper and lower parts of the tongue are at the level of the upper edge of the foot of the footwear and correspond to the conformation of the latter.

8. A tongue for footwear, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 to 4 or Figs. 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

9. Footwear, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.