GB2483900A

GB2483900A - An adjustable height shoe

Info

Publication number: GB2483900A
Application number: GB201016062A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Harrison-Griffin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-09-24
Filing date: 2010-09-24
Publication date: 2012-03-28
Also published as: GB201016062D0

Abstract

An adjustable height shoe 2 comprises a toe portion 4, an arch portion 6 and a heel portion 8. The toe portion 4 is coupled to the arch portion 6 by a living hinge 10a which allows the toe portion 4 and the arch portion 6 to rotate with respect to one another. The heel portion 8 has a heel 16 which is movable between a relatively high position and a relatively low position, and a bracing member 24 connects the heel 16 and the toe portion 4. The heel 16 forms a pivoting connection with the heel portion 8 through connecting brackets 12. The bracing member 24 is connected to the heel 16 via an entry slot 22 which runs longitudinally along the heel 16.

Description

I

AN ADJUSTABLE HEIGHT SHOE

The present invention relates to an adjustable height shoe which has a heel that is movable between a relatively high position and a relatively low position, and particularly, but not exclusively, to an adjustable height shoe which is both stiff and elegant.

Background

A high heeled shoe raises the heel of the wearer above their toes. This causes the legs of the wearer to appear longer, more slender and more toned and makes the wearer appear taller. Consequently, high heeled shoes are a popular choice of footwear for However, prolonged use of high heeled shoes can result in foot pain and also back pain. Furthermore, high heeled shoes can cause long-term damage to the feet of the wearer and increase the likelihood of sprains and fractures. Accordingly, wearers often carry a more practical choice of footwear (i.e. a flat shoe) and wear their high heeled shoes only when it is necessary. This is particularly useful, for example, when walking a long distance or driving. However, having to carry an additional pair of shoes is inconvenient and often not practical.

Shoes have been developed which have an adjustable height, thus allowing the shoe to function as both a high heeled shoe and a flat shoe. This provides the user with the benefits of both types of shoe and avoids the need to carry a second pair of shoes.

For example, US 5,309,651 discloses an adjustable height shoe which has a heel that rotates about a pivot between a relatively high position and a relatively low position.

However, the strength and stiffness of the heel may be impaired by the rotating construction, thus resulting in an appreciable amount of flexion in the shoe during use.

Furthermore, the heel may be accidentally pivoted from the relatively high position to the relatively low position, or vice versa, which could cause injury to the wearer.

Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adjustable height shoe which overcomes some or all of the problems associated with the prior art shoes.

Statements of Invention

in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an adjustable height shoe comprising: a toe portion; a heel portion coupled to the toe portion, the heel portion having a heel which is movable between a relatively high position and a relatively low position; and a bracing member connected between the heel and the toe portion.

The bracing member may act as a strut to withstand compression and/or as a tie to withstand tension when the heel is in the relatively high position.

The heel may comprise a guide slot which may extend along a longitudinal axis of the heel, and the bracing member may be slidably located within the guide slot.

The heel may be in the relatively low position when the bracing member is adjacent to an upper end of the guide slot and the heel may be in the relatively high position when the bracing member is adjacent to a lower end of the slot.

The heel and bracing member may form an over-centre mechanism which may retain the shoe in the relatively high position or the relatively low position.

The guide slot may be curved such that a top and bottom of the guide slot are further away from the toe portion than a central portion of the guide slot, when in the relatively high position.

The bracing member may lock the heel in the relatively high position and/or relatively low position.

The bracing member may have a locking mechanism which engages with the heel to lock the heel in the relatively high position and/or relatively low position.

The adjustable height shoe may further comprise an entry slot which extends along a longitudinal axis of the heel perpendicular to the guide slot, the bracing member being slidably located within the entry slot. The entry slot may have at least one enlarged portion which has a larger width opening than a remainder of the entry slot; and the bracing member may have a bifurcated portion which allows a width of the bifurcated portion to be varied between a width which is larger than that of the remainder of the entry slot and a width which is smaller than that of the remainder of the entry slot, such that, in use, the bifurcated portion locks in the enlarged portion and must be compressed to release it from the enlarged portion.

The heel portion may be coupled to the toe portion via an arch portion.

When the heel is in the relatively low position, the heel and/or bracing member may be received in a recess in the arch portion.

The arch portion may be coupled to the toe portion and/or heel portion by a respective hinge.

The hinge may be a living hinge. The living hinge may be constructed from polypropylene. Polypropylene is particularly suitable for this living hinge since it does not tear, rip, fatigue or work harden as a result of bending.

The bracing member may be configured so that it does not contact a level surface when in use.

The bracing member and/or heel may be curved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of an adjustable height shoe; Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the adjustable height shoe; Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the adjustable height shoe; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a heel of the adjustable height shoe; Figure 5 is a side view of the adjustable height shoe, where the shoe is in a relatively high position; Figures 6 to 9 are side views of the adjustable height shoe during a transition between the relatively high position of Figure 5 and a relatively low position; Figure 10 is a side view of the adjustable height shoe in the relatively low position; Figure 11 is a front perspective view of the adjustable height shoe, where the shoe is in the relatively high position Figure 12 to 15 are front perspective views of the adjustable height shoe during the transition between the relatively high position and the relatively low position; and Figure 16 is a front perspective view of the adjustable height shoe in the relatively low position.

Detailed Description

In the following description of a shoe, terms such as "front", "back/rear", "side(s)", "top/upper" and "bottom/lower" will be used to describe the location and orientation of features of the shoe. These terms are intended to refer to the location and orientation of the feature when in use. For example, the front of the shoe is toward to the toes of the wearer, the rear of the shoe is toward the heel of the wearer, the sides of the shoe are toward the left lateral and right lateral sides of the foot, the top/upper of the shoe is toward the foot of the wearer and the bottom/lower of the shoe is toward the ground.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, an adjustable height shoe 2 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a toe portion 4, an arch portion 6 and a heel portion 8. The toe portion 4 is coupled to the arch portion 6 using a living hinge lOa.

The living hinge ba is a flexible hinge which allows the toe portion 4 and the arch portion 6 to rotate with respect to one another. The living hinge bOa may be integrally formed with the toe portion and/or arch portion or may be a separate component. The living hinge bOa comprises a flexible connection. This may be achieved by reducing the thickness of the toe and/or arch portion such that they bend preferentially at the living hinge bOa. Alternatively, the living hinge bOa may be made of flexible material such as a flexible plastics material. The flexible plastics material may be polypropylene.

Polypropylene is particularly suitable for the living hinge iDa since it does not tear, rip, fatigue or work harden as a result of bending. The living hinge iOa connects the upper surfaces of the toe portion and the arch portion and thus allows the arch portion 6 to be angled upwards with respect to the toe portion 4. Similarly, the arch portion 6 is coupled to the heel portion 8 using another living hinge lOb, which allows the arch portion 6 and heel portion 8 to rotate with respect to one another. The living hinge 1 Ob connects the lower surfaces of the arch portion 6 and heel portion 8 and thus allows the arch portion 6 to be angled downwards with respect to the heel portion 8.

At a rear side of the toe portion 4, where it is coupled with the arch portion 6, a ledge 5 along the width of the toe portion 4 protrudes from the toe portion 4 towards the rear of the shoe. The ledge 5 has an upper surface which is lower than an upper surface of the toe portion 4. The difference in height between the upper surface of the toe portion 4 and the ledge 5 is equal to the thickness of the arch portion 6.

The toe portion 4, arch portion 6 and heel portion 8 form an upper surface which, in use, contacts a sole of a wearer's foot.

The heel portion 8 is provided with a pair of brackets 12 which are each aligned with a longitudinal axis of the shoe (i.e. running from front to back). The brackets 12 are spaced apart from one another at sides of the heel portion 8 and each have an opening 14. A heel 16 of the shoe 2 is received between the brackets 12. The heel 16 and brackets 12 cooperate in a conventional manner to form a pivoting connection between the heel 16 and the heel portion 8 which allows the heel 16 to be pivoted towards or away from the arch portion 6. Alternatively, the arrangement of the brackets 12 and heel 16 could be reversed such that the heel portion 8 has a single central bracket and the heel 16 has two brackets which fit over the outside of the central bracket.

For example, the heel 16 may have a pair of cylindrical protrusions which are each received in a cylindrical recess formed around the opening 14 of each bracket 12.

Instead, the pivoting configuration of the heel 16 and brackets 12 may be reversed so that the brackets 12 are provided with the cylindrical protrusions and the cylindrical recess is formed on each side of the heel 16. In order to insert the heel 16 between the brackets 12, the brackets 12 are pushed slightly further apart. The deformation of the brackets 12 is elastic, such that they return to their original positions when released and thus capture the heel 16 between the brackets 12. Alternatively, the brackets may have a two-piece construction, with a first portion forming part of the opening 14 and a second portion being connected to the first portion to complete the opening 14.

Accordingly, the heel 16 is inserted into the first portion and then the second portion is connected to the first portion to retain the heel 16 within the bracket 12. Such a two-piece construction allows the heel 16 to be inserted into the bracket 12 without deforming the brackets 12.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the heel 16 may have an opening 18 which passes from one side of the heel 16 to the other side of the heel 16. This transforms a functional pivot into an appealing and stylish design feature. Furthermore, a hollow or solid pin (not shown) may pass from the opening 14 in one of the brackets 12, through the opening 18 in the heel 16 and into the opening 14 in the other of the brackets 12 to form the pivoting connection between the heel 16 and the heel portion 8.

The heel 16 has a guide slot 20 which passes from one side of the heel 16 to the other side of the heel 16 and extends along a longitudinal axis of the heel 16. An entry slot 22 is formed through a front surface 23 of the heel 16 which provides access to the guide slot 20. The entry slot 22 extends substantially along the length of the guide slot and is perpendicular to the guide slot 20 (i.e. passes from the front to the back of the shoe 2).

A bracing member 24 is connected at one end to the ledge 5. The other end of the bracing member 24 is provided with a pair of protrusions 26 which project from either side of the bracing member 24. The bracing member 24 passes through the entry slot 22 and is slidably received in the guide slot 20. The protrusions 26 f the bracing member 24 retain the bracing member 24 in the guide slot 20 but allow the bracing member 24 to slide freely up and down the guide slot 20. The bracing member is essentially a bar which is constructed from a rigid material such as a metal or a strong plastic, such as a glass-filled ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) or Grilamid plastic.

The bracing member 24 curves upwards so that it does not contact a level surface (including minor deviations such as stones) when in use, which could otherwise hinder the balance of the wearer. The curved configuration also prevents the bracing member from contacting the surface when stepping from curbs or down steps.

As shown particularly in Figures 3 and 4, the bracing member 24 has a bifurcated portion 28 at an opposite end from the ledge 5. The bifurcated portion 28 splits the bracing member 24 into a first arm 30a and a second arm 30b which are separated by a gap 32. The gap 32 allows the bifurcated portion 28 to be compressed by hand so as to move the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b closer to one another and to reduce the size of the gap 30. The bifurcated portion 28 is resilient such that when the bifurcated portion 28 is not being compressed the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b spring back to restore the size of the gap 30. Furthermore, a spring or other resilient member may be located in the gap 32 between the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b in order to increase the resilience of the bifurcated portion 28. The protrusions 26 are provided on each of the first and second arms 30a,b.

The entry slot 22 is provided with an enlarged portion 34 toward the bottom of the entry slot 22, which is essentially a curved recess formed in each side of the entry slot 22.

Consequently, the enlarged portion 34 has a width, W1, which is larger than the width, W2, of the remainder of the entry slot 22.

When the bifurcated portion 28 is not under compression it has a width which is greater than the width, W2, of the remainder of the entry slot 22. However, when the bifurcated portion 28 is compressed the first arm 30a and the second arm SOb move closer together which reduces the width of the bifurcated portion 28 sufficiently so that it is less than the width W2. Accordingly, the bifurcated portion 28 must be compressed in order to release the bracing member 24 from the enlarged portion 34 and to allow the bracing member 24 to be slid up the guide slot 20 and entry slot 22. When the bifurcated portion 28 is released from the enlarged portion 34 the sides of the entry slot 22 continue to compress the bifurcated portion 28 such that it is no longer necessary to compress the bifurcated portion 28.by..hand. Conversely, whcn the bracing member 24 is returned to the enlarged portion 34, the resilient nature of the bifurcated portion 28 causes the first arm 30a and thesecond arm 30*b to spring back in order to restore the size of the gap 30. This causes the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b to engage with the enlarged portion 34 and to lock the bracing member 24 in position.

The enlarged portion 34 and the first and second arms 30a,b have complementary profiles so that they fully engage with one another. The profiles of the enlarged portion 34 and the first and second arms 30a,b may be square or oblong with radiused corners (i.e. the first and second arms 30a,b each form half of this profile). This profile is particularly effective in preventing the bifurcated portion 28 from becoming accidentally disengaged from the enlarged portion 34 as a result of forces acting along the guide slot 20.

In addition, a dead locking arrangement (not shown) may be introduced between the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b of the bifurcated portion 28. The dead locking arrangement is substantially incompressible and has a locking portion which is approximately equal in width to the gap 32 when the bifurcated portion 28 is not compressed. Therefore, when the locking portion is located between the first arm 30a and the second arm 30b it is not possible to compress the bifurcated portion 28 and therefore the bifurcated portion 28 cannot be released from the enlarged portion 34. To release the bifurcated portion 28 from the enlarged portion it is necessary to remove the locking portion from between the first and second arms 30a,b. The dead locking arrangement and/or locking portion may be hingedly and/or pivotably connected to the shoe. For example, the locking arrangement may be connected to one of the first and second arms 30a,b by a hinge which allows the locking portion to rotate into the gap 32 about a longitudinal axis of the arm.

When the first and second arms 30a,b of the bifurcated portion 28 are locked in the enlarged portion 34, the heel 16 is in a relatively high position. In this position, the bottom of the heel 16 and the protrusions 26 of the bracing member are rearward of the brackets 12 about which the heel 16 pivots. Consequently, the weight of a wearer acts to cause the heel to rotate away from the toe portion 4 and thus the bracing member 24 is required to withstand the tension which this creates. Furthermore, when the bracing member 24 is locked in the relatively high position, the bracing member 24 must withstand inadvertent compression which could otherwise cause the heel 16 to rotate toward the toe portion 4. This may result from contacting a rear surface of the heel 16 when walking down steps, for example.

As shown in Figures 6 to 9 and 12 to 15, when the bracing member 24 is released from the enlarged portion 34, the shoe 2 may undergo a transition between the relatively high position, as shown in Figures 5 and 11, and a relatively low position, as shown in Figures 10 and 16, by rotating the heel 16 about the pivot formed with the brackets 12.

During the transition between the relatively high position and the relatively low position, the difference in height between the toe portion 4 and the heel portion 8 is reduced causing the protrusions 26 of the bracing member 24 to slide up the guide slot 20.

Consequently) the angle of the arch portion 6 reduces) causing the effective distance (i.e. the distance along the ground) between the toe portion 4 and the heel portion 8 to increase and causing the brackets 12 of the heel portion 8 about which the heel 16 pivots to move in a rearward direction past the protrusions 26 of the bracing member 24. As the length of the bracing member 24 is fixed) the movement of the heel portion 8 causes the heel 16 to rotate about the brackets 12 toward the arch portion 6.

The heel 16 rotates until the protrusions 26 of the bracing member 24 reach the end of the guide slot 20 and/or until the heel 16 and bracing member 24 contact the underside of the arch portion 6) as shown in Figures 10 and 16. A recess (not shown) may be formed in the underside of the arch portion 6 to receive the bracing member 24 and heel 16. Furthermore) a retaining clip (not shown) may be provided on the underside of the arch portion 6 to retain the heel 16 in the relatively low position. Alternatively or in addition, a second enlarged portion 34 could be formed toward the top of the entry slot 22 so as to enable the bracing member 24 and thus heel 16 to be locked in position when in the relatively low position. When in the relatively low position, the shoe 2 contacts the ground at the brackets 12 and/or at a top portion of the heel 16 and on a lower surface of the toe portion 4.

The guide slot 20 is curved along its length such that the top and bottom of the guide slot 20 are further away from the toe portion 4 than a central region of the guide slot 20.

This gives the shoe 2 an over-centre action which retains the heel in the relatively high position or the relatively low position. Similarly) the heel 16 is curved so as to allow the heel 16 to be rotated further towards the arch portion 6.

The accompanying drawings show a schematic illustration of the invention. Clearly) the invention would be implemented with a suitable upper for receiving and retaining the foot of the wearer. The upper may be constructed from various materials and the foot of the wearer may be retained using straps and coverings of various designs depending on the style of the shoe. Furthermore, the size and shape of the toe portion 4, arch portion 6 and heel portion 8 may vary from that shown in the accompanying drawings depending on the style and design of the shoe. For example, a pointed-toe shoe would have a correspondingly shaped toe portion 4. Furthermore, the area between the arch portion 6 and heel 16 may be covered to provide the appearance of a wedge shoe, whilst allowing the heel 16 to pivot to the relatively low position.

Although the toe portion 4, arch portion 6 and heel portion 8 have been described as being coupled by living hinges, other hinges could be used.

Furthermore, although the bracing member 24 has been described as curving upwards, alternative constructions may be used which prevent the bracing member from contacting a level surface when in use.

Further still, although the entry slot has been described as having an enlarged portion 34 toward the bottom of the entry slot 22, additional enlarged portions 34 could be formed along the length of the entry slot 22 to allow the heel 16 to be locked at varying heights. In this instance, the shape of the heel 16 would be configured to provide a stable contact surface with the ground at all heights.

The pivoting connection between the heel 16 and the heel portion 8 may be of a locking type. For example, the pivoting connection may use a cam lock type arrangement (i.e. as used to lock the blade in a penknife) which, once locked, prevents the heel 16 from pivoting about the brackets 12. Where the shoe 2 is configured to allow the heel 16 to be locked at varying heights, the cam lock type arrangement would also lock the heel in each of the required positions. The locking arrangement may be indexed to assist in locating the heel 16 in each of these positions.

Claims

Claims 1. An adjustable height shoe comprising: a toe portion; a heel portion coupled to the toe portion, the heel portion having a heel which is movable between a relatively high position and a relatively low position; and a bracing member connected between the heel and the toe portion.
2. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bracing member acts as a strut to withstand compression and/or as a tie to withstand tension when the heel is in the relatively high position.
3. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the heel comprises a guide slot which extends along a longitudinal axis of the heel, the bracing member being slidably located within the guide slot.
4. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein, the heel is in the relatively low position when the bracing member is adjacent to an upper end of the guide slot and the heel is in the relatively high position when the bracing member is adjacent to a lower end of the slot.
5. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein the heel and bracing member form an over-centre mechanism which retains the shoe in the relatively high position or the relatively low position.
6. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide slot is curved such that a top and a bottom of the guide slot are further away... from th& toe portion than a central portion of the guide slot, when in the relatively high position.
7. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing member locks the heel in the relatively high position and/or relatively low position.
8. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bracing member has a locking mechanism which engages with the heel to lock the heel in the relatively high position and/or relatively low position.
9. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 8, wherein the locking mechanism engages with the heel to lock the heel in one or more positions between the relatively high and relatively low positions.
10. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 8 or 9 when appendant to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising: an entry slot which extends along a longitudinal axis of the heel perpendicular to the guide slot, the bracing member being slidably located within the entry slot wherein the entry slot has at least one enlarged portion which has a larger width opening than a remainder of the entry slot; and wherein the bracing member has a bifurcated portion which allows a width of the bifurcated portion to be varied between a width which is larger than that of the remainder of the entry slot and a width which is smaller than that of the remainder of the entry slot, such that, in use, the bifurcated portion locks in the enlarged portion and must be compressed to release it from the enlarged portion.
11. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heel portion is coupled to the toe portion via an arch portion.
12. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 11, wherein the bracing member is connected to the toe portion via the arch portion.
13. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein, when the heel is in the relatively low position, the heel and/or bracing member is received in a recess in the arch portion.
14. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the arch portion is coupled to the toe* portion and/or heel portion by a respective hinge.
15. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 14, wherein the hinge is a living hinge.
16. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bracing member is configured so that it does not contact a level surface when in use.
17. An adjustable height shoe as claimed in claim 16, wherein the bracing member and/or heel is curved.
18. An adjustable height shoe substantially as described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.