Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A43—FOOTWEAR
  • A43B—CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR
  • A43B3/00—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
  • A43B3/26—Footwear characterised by the shape or the use adjustable as to length or size

Definitions

• the present invention relates to expandable shoes that may be adjusted longitudinally.
• U.S. Patent No. 3,389,481 discloses a shoe in which a two plate assembly is disposed between an inner and a disjointed outer sole, having overlapping front and back portions.
• One of the plates includes a spring tongue
• the other plate includes two apertures to receive the spring tongue, each aperture corresponding to a shoe size.
• a screw which extends through the heel and into the disjointed soles is removed. The shoe may then be pulled apart allowing the disjointed sole to separate until the spring tongue engages the next aperture.
• WO 01/33986 describes an expandable shoe.
• the expandable shoe includes an outer shell having a front and a rear outer assembly each attached to a flexible, expandable segment.
• An adjustable inner assembly is disposed within the outer shell and includes a control mechanism, accessible from the outer shell, that may be urged from a lock state into a state in which the inner assembly and outer shell may be adjusted.
• A. visualization window provides a view port to the inner assembly.
• an expandable shoe which includes a front outer assembly, and a rear outer assembly.
• An expandable segment attaches to the front and rear outer assemblies to define a shoe outer shell and the expandable segment extends at least partially along each side of the outer shell and transversely across the bottom of the outer shell.
• An adjustable inner assembly is disposed within the outer shell and has a first board portion and a second board portion in overlapping engagement with each other. The inner assembly also includes a control to adjust the position of the first board portion relative to the second board portion and to thereby adjust a dimension of the inner assembly and thereby a corresponding dimension of the shoe.
• the control includes a locking mechanism shaped to engage and hold one of the first and second board portions, a biasing mechanism to bias the locking mechanism into engagement with one of the first and second board portions; and an urging member having a proximal portion external of the shoe outer shell and positioned and movable transversely to a longitudinal direction of the shoe and in transverse alignment with the locking mechanism.
• one of the first and second board portions include transversely extending teeth
• the locking mechanism includes transversely extending teeth
• the urging member include a rod portion having at least two diameters.
• the locking mechanism includes an aperture in alignment with the rod portion and the cross section of the aperture is larger than the smaller of the at least two diameters but smaller than the large of the at least two diameters .
• one of the first and second board portions includes an upward-facing cavity containing the control. The opening to the cavity is covered by the other of the first and second board portions when the first and second board portions overlap.
• one of the first and second board portions includes at least one groove extending longitudinally and the other of the first and second board portions includes a corresponding rail in alignment with the groove. The rail is positioned within the groove as the first and second board portions overlap.
• At least one of the first and second board portions includes a lattice support structure.
• one of the first and second board portions includes an index of notches and the other of the first and second board portions includes a protrusion in longitudinal alignment with the index and extending toward the index. When the first and second board portions are moved relative to one another, the protrusion contacts the notches.
• the footwear has a foot dressing, an adjustable inner assembly disposed within the foot dressing, and a stiff member.
• the adjustable inner assembly has two outwardly extending members, and the stiff member has a channel to nestle the outwardly extending members to resist undesirable rotation of the inner assembly.
• the inner assembly has a control for controlling the dimension of the footwear.
• the control includes a concave-shaped urging member, that when depressed, allows the footwear to expand or contract, and when not depressed, prohibits such movement.
• Figures 1 and 2 show shoe designs according to certain embodiments of the invention
• Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of a shoe according to certain embodiments of the invention
• Figuress 4A-B are exploded views of expandable last boards according to certain embodiments of the invention
• Figures 5A-C show features of expandable last boards according to certain embodiments of the invention
• Figures 6 and 7 show an exemplary control mechanism in two states
• Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a stiff member according to one embodiment of the invention
• Figure 9 shows a cross section of an urging cap according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Certain embodiments of the present invention provide improvements to the ergonomics, torsional rigidity, handling, and construction of the shoe designs disclosed in WO 01/33986. That reference in conjunction with U.S. Pat. Apl. Ser. No. 09/438,935 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• Figures 1 and 2 show two shoe designs under certain embodiments of the invention.
• shoe 10 includes a front outer sole 12 and a front upper 18 to form a front outer assembly 13, and a rear outer sole 16 and a rear upper 20 to form a rear outer assembly 17.
• the front outer assembly 13 is attached to one edge 15B of a bellows segment 14, and the rear outer assembly 17 is attached to a second edge 15 A, in each case using conventional techniques, such as by using stitching to the uppers 18, 20 and glue along the outer soles 12, 16.
• the combination of front outer assembly 13, rear outer assembly 17, and bellows segment 14 forms an outer shell 21.
• An alternative shoe 20 is illustrated in figure 2.
• One principal difference in shoe 20 relative to shoe 10 is the bellows 22 of shoe 20 does not completely surround the shoe, whereas bellows 14 of shoe 10 is a unitary bellows enveloping the circumference of the shoe.
• FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an exemplary shoe 10.
• an adjustable inner assembly 30 is positioned within the outer shell 21 and is generally formed from two pieces 31,32 which are shaped to engage and move relative to one another in overlapping relationship.
• the overlapping and engaging inner assembly 30 provides a relatively rigid last board for desirable foot support, hi this embodiment, rear piece 31 is partially positioned within a heel section of the shoe 10 and includes the control mechanism 41, discussed below, which allow the shoe to be adjusted in size.
• the shoe includes a two piece inner last board 33, 34. This two piece inner last is made from materials, e.g., cloth, used for conventional last boards and is attached or sewn to the outer shell.
• Over the inner last is a two piece inner sole 36 and 37 made from conventional materials, e.g., foam, and shaped to overlap one another so that the pieces slide as the shoe size is adjusted.
• Figure 4A is an exploded view of one embodiment of the inner assembly
• the inner assembly 30 includes front last board piece 31 and rear last board piece 32 positioned in overlapping, slidable and engaging relationship, as will be described more fully below in connection with the description of other figures.
• the front piece includes a downward facing cavity 40 (shown better in other figures) into which a control mechanism 41 is positioned.
• Plate 46 is mounted on the front piece 31 over the cavity 40 and encapsulates the control mechanism within the cavity, protecting it from glue and other substances used in the construction of the entire shoe.
• shoe size indicia or adjustment indicia may be printed, engraved, labeled, or the like.
• the heel portion of the inner assembly 30 is positioned within a heel support 47.
• a plate 48 having magnification window 49 is fixed to the rear piece 32 by protrusions or the like to align the window 49 with the indicia on the bottom surface of plate 46.
• Cap 24 is fit over the proximal end of pin 45 and the entire assembly is fit within rear outer assembly 17 and the other components of the outer shell 21.
• FIG. 4B is an exploded view of another embodiment of the inner assembly 30.
• the front piece 31 has an upward facing cavity (not shown) into which the control mechanism is placed.
• the bottom surface of the cavity is integrated into the front piece 31 (as opposed to an attached plate 46), and the control mechanism is encapsulated by the rear piece 32 being positioned over the opening of the cavity.
• the bottom surface of the front piece like the plate 46 of the prior embodiment, includes shoe size indicia or adjustment.
• the bottom surface 34 of the rear piece 32 has a cutout (not shown), through which the indicia may be observed.
• a magnification window 49' is attached to the bottom surface 34 of the rear piece 32 in alignment with the cutout and through which the indicia may be viewed.
• FIG. 7 shows the inner assembly being used with a midsole, 17' having an attached outer sole 17".
• the midsole 17' has a channel 82 to nestle the two outwardly extending members 84, 86 (shown in Figures 7 and 8) of the inner assembly to resist undesirable rotation of the inner assembly.
• Figure 4B shows a midsole 17', but it is understood that other stiff members may be used to provide a channel to nestle the outwardly extending member.
• the control mechanism 41 has a natural, locked state in which a toothed member 42 engages teeth 62 integrated with or attached to the front piece. The locked state prevents the front and rear pieces 31 and 32 from being moved longitudinally relative to one another.
• the control mechanism 41 of either embodiment includes a toothed member 42, a biasing spring 43, a support guide 44, and an urging pin 45.
• Pin 45 has a first section 45A of a relatively larger diameter and a second section 45B of a relatively smaller diameter. The pin 45 is sized to fit through aperture 33 in rear section 32, through longitudinal slot 35 (shown in figure 3), through the control mechanism 41, and into another aperture corresponding to aperture 33 but on the hidden side of the rear section 32.
• the larger diameter section 45 A fits through aperture 33 but is too large to fit through the central aperture 42A of toothed member 42.
• the smaller diameter section 45B is small enough to fit through the central aperture 42A of member 42 and aperture 44A of support 44.
• the support 44 includes a circular protrusion 44C which defines the aperture 44A and which fits into the aperture corresponding to the aperture 33 but on the hidden side.
• FIG. 6 Figures 6 and further illustrates an end cap 75.
• the end cap has a cylindrical protrusion 77 to fit into aperture-defining portion 76 and defines an aperture 78 to receive a distal end of pin 45.
• the cap further encapsulates the control mechanism protecting it from glue and other debris during manufacturing and use of the shoe.
• the control mechanism and states are shown and described with reference to the embodiment of figure 4A, the operation and components are the same for the embodiment of figure 4B.
• the embodiment of figure 4B requires the control mechanism (except for pin 45) to be assembled within the cavity of the front piece 31 before the front piece is arranged with the rear piece but it has the advantage of improved encapsulation and protection from glue used in shoe assembly.
• FIGS 5A-C show certain improvements to the design of the front and rear pieces relative to embodiments shown in WO 01/33986.
• the rear piece 32 is generally shaped like the rear piece disclosed in WO 01/33986 having slots 51 and 52 to accept the wings 53 and 54 of the front piece 31 so that the front piece may slide within rear piece 32 in an overlapping relationship.
• curved sections 55 and 56 of the front piece 31 contact curved walls 57 and 58 of the rear piece 32.
• the rear piece 32 includes two rails 59 and 60 protruding up from the major surface of the rear piece 32, and the front piece includes two slots 61 and 62 shaped to receive these rails. Because the rails protrude from the major surface they help inhibit transverse sliding of the front and rear pieces and improve the torsional rigidity of the last board 30.
• the top surface of the front piece 31 includes a notched or teeth shaped index 63 and a nib 64 to provide ergonomic feedback to the user when he or she is adjusting the shoe size.
• the index 64 is in longitudinal alignment with a nib 64 on the underside of rear piece 32.
• the notches or teeth are positioned to correspond to shoe size adjustments.
• the nib 64 contacts the teeth or notches of index 63, and thus provides resistance to the user pushing or pulling the two pieces 31,32 together or apart, when the teeth 64 do not align with the teeth of toothed member 42.
• Figure 5C shows the bottom surface of front piece 31 and illustrates the lattice-shaped support structure 66 integrated into the front piece. Though other arrangements may be substituted, the structure 66 provides improved torsional rigidity in the midsole area while allowing some of the material of the front piece 31 to be removed and to thus reduce weight.
• the shoe designs of figure 1 and 2 are exemplary.
• the principles of the invention may be manifested in embodiments including running shoes, biking shoes, ski boots, dress shoes, snow boarding boots, sandals and the like.
• the inner assembly may be in the form of a last board, or a combination of a last board and a midsole, or a midsole.
• the materials used will be selected to provide a desired amount of flexibility or rigidity.
• the outer shell may differ. In the case of a sandal, for example, the outer shell would only have strapping.
• Other embodiments, such as a biking shoe might have either netting, meshing, or no material where the bellows are shown, thus providing increased ventilation.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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• 2004
  • 2004-10-25 EP EP04796141A patent/EP1684607A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2004-10-25 US US10/972,749 patent/US20050115114A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2004-10-25 WO PCT/US2004/035091 patent/WO2005041705A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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