Seamless attachment of pre-formed footwear components

Abstract

An item of footwear comprises an upper having a first overlap area and the bottom having a second overlap area. The upper is attached to the bottom by stitching high frequency adhesive tape to the overlap area of the upper and separately to the overlap area of the bottom. The upper and the bottom are brought together so that the two overlap areas are in solid contact with one another when the footwear is subjected to the high frequency signal which turns the solid adhesive tapes into a molten liquid. When the liquid cools, the upper and bottom are welded to one another. The seal between the components is waterproof.

1 . An item of footwear comprising a first component and a second component, the first component having a first overlap area and the second component having a second overlap area, the components being footwear components and being sized and shaped to be attached to one another in the overlap areas, the first overlap area having a first high frequency adhesive stitched thereto and the second overlap area having a second high frequency adhesive stitched thereto, the first high frequency adhesive being compatible to bond with the first component, the second high frequency adhesive being compatible to bond with the second component, the first and second high frequency adhesives being compatible to bond with one another when the two components are held in a position to attach the two components to one another in the first and second overlap areas with the first and second high frequency adhesives in contact with one another, the high frequency adhesives being subjected to a high frequency signal to cause the first and second components to weld to one another along the first and second overlap areas. 
     
     
         2 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein there are no single stitching openings extending through both the first and second overlap areas when the first and second components are joined together. 
     
     
         3 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the components are pre-formed. 
     
     
         4 . The item m of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first component is an upper and the second component is a bottom. 
     
     
         5 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first component is an upper shaft and the second component is a bottom, the footwear being a boot. 
     
     
         6 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the high frequency adhesives are identical to one another. 
     
     
         7 . The item of footwear as claimed in  claim 1  wherein stitch openings in each of the two components are filled with solidified adhesive after the two components are welded to one another. 
     
     
         8 . A method of attaching a first component of an item of footwear to a second component of an item of footwear using high frequency adhesives, the first component having a first overlap area and the second component having a second overlap area, the method comprising choosing compatible high frequency adhesives, stitching a first high frequency adhesive to the first overlap area and stitching a second high frequency adhesive to the second overlap area, the first overlap area and the second overlap area being sized relative to one another, holding the first overlap area in contact with the second overlap area with the first and second high frequency adhesives in between, subjecting the high frequency adhesives to a high frequency signal to cause the high frequency adhesives to bond together, thereby fusing the first and second components to one another with no stitch openings extending through both the first and second overlap areas. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 8  including the step of choosing the first and second adhesives to be identical to one another.