Shoe
An improved shoe includes an energy return heel mechanism in the heel portion of the shoe upper. The energy return heel mechanism comprises a spring lever pivotally mounted against a fulcrum. The position of the spring lever and fulcrum with respect to each other is adjustable so as to provide adjustability in the spring force. The shoe may also include a variable support insole. The sole extends outwardly beyond the shoe upper around the entire periphery of the shoe upper. The top of the heel portion is rolled backwardly and the tongue is rolled upwardly and outwardly. The shoe may come with different thickness and/or different weight soles.
Current shoes have many serious design problems or flaws that make them less desirable to consumers. Some of these problems relate to the difficulty in putting on a shoe. It would also be desirable if a shoe could be designed which could have beneficial effects to the wearer such as providing an energy return heel mechanism or providing improved insoles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,110 discloses an adjustable shoe heel spring and stabilizer which includes a spring as the upper side of a U-shaped member. A fulcrum is mounted below the spring at the end of a rack which extends through a hole in the bight of the U-shaped member. A gear on the opposite of the U-shaped member engages the rack. Rotation of the gear cause the rack to move longitudinally to adjust the position of the fulcrum under the spring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of this invention is to provide an improved shoe which incorporates an energy return mechanism preferably one which is adjustable for people of different weight, spring preference and activity.
A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable insole for such a shoe.
Other features of the invention include providing the capability of having shoes with variable thickness soles or weights and of structure which makes the shoe more comfortable and easier to put on and take off.
In accordance with this invention a shoe which could be of any type including sandals, sneakers, etc. includes a shoe upper secured to a sole. The shoe upper is provided with an energy return heel mechanism in its heel portion. The mechanism comprises a spring lever which extends into the heel portion for receiving the heel of the user. The spring lever is pivotally mounted against a fulcrum whereby the downward force from the user's heel against the lever is resisted by the lever which imparts an upward force against the user's heel. The force applied by the lever is adjustable so that the desired force can be preselected by the user.
The shoe may also incorporate an insole which provides variable support such as being inflatable and or being made of a memory foam.
Other features of the shoe may include sets of shoes having different thickness soles or different weight soles. The shoe upper may be designed to facilitate putting the shoe on or taking the shoe off by having the heel top rolled backward and having the tongue rolled upward. Comfort may be provided by forming the toe box in a squared off shape both in plan and in elevation view. Stability may be provided by dimensioning the sole so that it is peripherally wider than the shoe upper at the toe box and peripherally around the hole upper.
THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is directed to improved shoe designs, particularly to shoes which would be used in athletic workouts. The invention, however, may also be used during ordinary use of shoes. It is to be understood that the term “shoe” is used in its broadest sense and may include, for example, walking shoes, running shoes, sneakers, sandals and the like.
The present invention provides a number of distinct improvements over conventional shoe construction. Each of these improvements in itself represents a unique feature and in combination create a completely revolutionary shoe with many superior characteristics. The incorporation of these features in a shoe in its various combinations can result in a shoe which is more comfortable and can be adjusted or tuned for comfort. The shoe would be easier to put on and take off. The invention provides the user with a range of height choices for the shoe. The shoe would be roomier and would not cramp the toes and would also be more stable. The shoe returns more energy to the user during walking, running, jumping and other forms of activities. The shoe can be adjusted for heel comfort depending on weight or activity.
One of the important features of this invention is the provision in a shoe of an energy return heel mechanism. This feature in its various forms is illustrated in
In the preferred practice of this invention the upward force provided by the spring lever is adjustable so that the user can select the optimum force in accordance with the user's weight, spring preference and activity. A general approach at providing adjustability of the lever arm for the energy return heel mechanism is to vary the line of contact of the spring lever with the fulcrum. This allows the user to adjust the amount of energy return or shock absorption for personal preference or feel to take into account the user's weight and to take into account the sports or activity such as running, walking or jumping. Two basic ways of adjusting the length of the spring board or free end of the lever are to have a fixed fulcrum or a movable fulcrum.
In the fixed fulcrum embodiment shown in
Although
The preferred manner of adjusting the location of the spring lever and the fulcrum is to move the fulcrum itself.
The invention may also be practiced where the adjustment of the fulcrum is continuous. An example of this practice of the invention is shown in
Tracks 36 and axle 32 may include such structure as a rack and pinion structure to facilitate the axle movement. Axle 32 may be of smooth outer surface where it rides in tracks 36 and then held in place by a tightening of nut 40.
Tracks 36 may be structured with regard to axle 32 so that the axle moves in tracks 36 by a simple rolling action and then would be locked in place, or where there is sufficient friction between the axle and track the friction holds the axle in place such that a force is required to cause the axle to move, or the axle and track may have interengaging teeth which facilitates the movement.
The various forms of energy return heel mechanisms described above thus permit the user to customize or personalize the type of spring action which is achieved. The specific energy return heel mechanism used could be mounted in the shoe in any suitable manner. For example, the mechanism could be permanently mounted in the shoe and the shoe could be modified so that the manner of adjustment extends externally of the shoe.
The practice of the invention shown in
Another feature of the invention is the provision of variable sole thickness to give the user a way of choosing the height and look of the shoe. In addition, generally the thicker the sole the more comfortable the shoe.
The feature of a shoe having a rolled back upper heel portion is also disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 10/125,219 filed Apr. 18, 2002, all of the details of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto.
The ability for the user to select different sole thickness also permits the user to appear taller where shoes with a thicker sole are selected. This differs from the prior “elevator shoe” practices where the added thickness was concealed within (i.e. on the inside of) the shoe. This aspect of the invention represents a different manner of manufacturing and marketing shoes where the consumer not only selects the width and length, but also height or appearance by selection of a particular sole thickness. As later described, the consumer can also specify a particular weight when selecting a pair of shoes from sets of shoes.
A further feature of the invention similar to that of
To further facilitate the user inserting the foot into the shoe 10, the tongue 44 is rolled upwardly and outwardly thereby cooperating with the rolled back heel top 42.
A further feature of this invention is the optional provision of an insole which provides adjustable support for the foot. Variations of this feature are illustrated in
As illustrated in
Although
The inflation/deflation of the one or more pockets could be accomplished in any suitable manner such as by blowing through the valve in which case the valve could have a small stem to be engaged by the mouth. The insole could be permanently fastened to the inside of the shoe. Preferably, however, the insole is removable or detachable to permit different insoles to be inserted and/or replaced and to facilitate access to the inflation/deflation structure or valves.
Although the inflatable insole is preferably inflated/deflated through the use of air any suitable fluid or gas may be used including the insertion of pellets into a pocket which expand under heat or pressure.
An alternative form of variable support insole is illustrated in
One of the great design flaws of conventional shoes is that such shoes often taper downwardly and sometimes inwardly coming to a point at the front. This causes the toe box to be narrow and to cramp the foot/toes. Also, the outsole is barely wider than the toe box of the shoe upper making it easy to roll over the foot and twist the ankle. These problems are addressed by the features shown in
The toe box 18 could also be modified to provide greater comfort to the toes. For example, some or all of the upper portion of the toe box could be made of a flexible elastic or stretchable material located above one or more (up to all) of the toes. The inner portion at the top of the toe box could also include padding or be made of material to cushion or to conform to the toes below that material. Examples of such material are an air bubble, an inflatable pocket or simply a soft foam.
A further modification of shoe 10 shown in
As should be apparent the present invention involves the utilization of various features which enhance shoe structure. Such features, particularly when in various combinations with each other, result in an improved shoe design offering superior characteristics over conventional shoe construction.
Claims
1. An improved shoe comprising a shoe upper secured to a sole, said shoe upper having a heel portion, an energy return heel mechanism in said heel portion, said mechanism comprising a spring lever having a cantilevered free end extending into said heel portion for receiving the heel of the user, said spring lever being pivotally mounted against a fulcrum whereby the downward force from the user's heel against said lever is resisted by said lever which imparts an upward force against the user's heel, and said force applied by said lever being adjustable.
2. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said force applied by said lever is adjustable by adjusting the location of said lever with respect to said fulcrum, said fulcrum being mounted in a fixed location, and said lever being movable to adjust the effective length of said free end.
3. The shoe of claim 2 wherein said energy return heel mechanism includes a support body having an elongated slot, and said lever being telescopically mounted in said slot to vary the extent of springiness of said lever in accordance with the degree to which said lever is inserted in said slot.
4. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said force applied by said lever is adjustable by adjusting the location of said fulcrum with respect to said lever, said lever being mounted in a fixed position, said fulcrum being movable to adjust its location of contact with said lever, said fulcrum being movable selectively to one of a plurality of preset positions, said energy return heel mechanism including a support body, a plurality of detents being located in an exposed upper surface of said support body at said preset positions, and said fulcrum comprising an elongated axle detachably mountable in said detents to control the location of said fulcrum.
5. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said force applied by said lever is adjustable by adjusting the location of said fulcrum with respect to said lever, said energy return heel mechanism including a pair of spaced tracks, said fulcrum comprising an elongated axle mounted in and spanning said tracks to permit said fulcrum to be movable to various positions by moving said axle in said tracks.
6. The shoe of claim 5 including locking structure for selectively locking said fulcrum in a fixed position.
7. The shoe of claim 5 wherein said lever is in the form of a spring board plate having a fixed end located forwardly of said free end and mounted to a support body, and said fulcrum being an elongated axle of arcuate cross section mounted between said fixed end and said free end of said plate.
8. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said spring lever is detachably mounted as part of said energy return heel mechanism whereby said spring lever may be detached and replaced by a further spring lever having different spring characteristics to permit said force applied by said lever to be adjustable.
9. The shoe of claim 1 including a variable support insole mounted in said shoe above said sole, said insole having an inflatable/deflatable pocket which covers substantially the entire foot support area of said insole, and a valve in communication with said pocket to permit said pocket to be selectively inflated and deflated.
10. The shoe of claim 1 including a variable support insole mounted in said shoe above said sole, said insole including a plurality of individual pockets sealed from each other, and each of said pockets including its own valve for the selective inflation and deflation of said pocket.
11. The shoe of claim 1 including a variable support insole mounted in said shoe above said sole, said insole having at least one inflatable/deflatable pocket, and a memory foam mounted above said at least one pocket.
12. The shoe of claim 1 including a variable support insole mounted in said shoe above said sole, and said insole being made from a memory foam to conform to the user's foot.
13. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said sole is peripherally wider than said shoe upper, said shoe upper including a toe box having a front wall which is generally vertical and is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shoe.
14. The shoe of claim 1 wherein said heel includes a top which is rolled backward, and said shoe upper including a tongue which is rolled upward and outward.
15. The shoe of claim 1 in combination therewith a set of said shoes differing from each other in sole thickness.
16. An improved shoe comprising a shoe upper secured to a sole, an insole mounted within said shoe upper above said sole, said insole having at least one pocket which is selectively inflatable and deflatable to provide variable support for the user's foot, and a valve associated with each pocket to permit the user to selectively inflate and deflate said pocket.
17. The shoe of claim 16 including memory foam disposed above said pocket.
18. The shoe of claim 16 wherein said sole is peripherally wider than said shoe upper, said shoe upper including a toe box having a front wall which is generally vertical and is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shoe, said shoe upper including a heel portion having a top rolled backwardly, and said shoe upper including a tongue rolled upwardly and outwardly.
19. In a method of marketing shoes comprising providing a set of shoes wherein pairs of the shoes within the set differ from other pairs by sole thickness, and the consumer selecting a pair of shoes from the set by specifying the sole thickness of the desired pair of shoes.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the consumer additionally specifies the length and width of the desired pair of shoes and also specifies the weight of the desired pair of shoes.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 9, 2005
Publication Date: Aug 10, 2006
Inventor: William Wilkinson (Salem, NJ)
Application Number: 11/054,630
International Classification: A43B 13/28 (20060101);