Enhanced Footwear

Abstract

Improved and enhanced footwear is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers a fastening mechanism and/or a compartment for holding certain items. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a compartment with a tracking chip, which may be removable. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a sole with grooves designed to facilitate safer walking and/or drying. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers various methods of attaching the pair of footwear together. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers certain lighting and notification features.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to footwear and various enhancements thereto.

BACKGROUND

As is generally well known, elements of nature have posed, and continue to pose, certain challenges and dangers to human beings. Rain, wind, and snow can be inconvenient in better times, and deadly in the worst. To protect themselves from the elements, people have developed various devices throughout the court of mankind's development. For example, people have learned to make clothes to shield themselves from the cold, and headwear to protect themselves from inclement weather.

Footwear comprises a vital component of human wear that can be traced back thousands of years. Early footwear included animal hides or cloth that would be wrapped around a human's foot. As time went on, and manufacturing capabilities improved, footwear became more comfortable and in certain circumstances specialized, such as construction shoes with steel toes, or Olympian sprinter shoes that weigh only several ounces.

However, while modern footwear has advanced significantly over the early attempts, most of the development efforts have focused on the structural design of shoes, to make footwear more durable or lighter, and on their appearance, from a fashion perspective. Until the present application, little effort has been offered to make footwear into a functional device that offers utility beyond comfort and protection of feet from the elements. For example, footwear is not used as a vessel to carry various items that by themselves, or in combination with the footwear, offer unique functionality for their owner. Further, no significant progress has been made with respect to fastening and/or tracking pairs of footwear. Moreover, little advancement has been made with respect to the design of footwear that comes in contact with water in order to provide more safety to its owner, and to offer quicker drying properties.

Accordingly, there exists a need for footwear that offers advantages over currently existing products, including in one or more of the above noted areas.

SUMMARY

Generally, the presently disclosed invention is footwear enhanced to offer certain features in various embodiments. In one embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers a fastening mechanism and/or a compartment for holding certain items. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a compartment with a tracking chip, which may be removable. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear comprises a sole with grooves designed to facilitate safer walking and/or drying. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers various methods of attaching the pair of footwear together. In another embodiment, the presently disclosed footwear offers certain lighting and notification features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of footwear comprising a fastening mechanism and a storage compartment therein.

FIG. 1B illustrates another view of the storage compartment from FIG. 1A with an item stored therein.

FIG. 2A illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising a storage compartment and an item to be stored therein.

FIG. 2B illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising a storage compartment and an alternative item to be stored therein.

FIG. 3 illustrates the front view of footwear comprising a sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4A illustrates a front cross-section view of a first embodiment of a sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4B illustrates a front cross-section view of a second embodiment of a sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4C illustrates a front cross-section view of a third embodiment of a sole with several grooves.

FIG. 4D illustrates a front cross-section view of a fourth embodiment of a sole with several grooves.

FIG. 5 illustrates a first embodiment of footwear comprising a tracking chip and a compartment therefor.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an illumination system.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second embodiment of footwear comprising a tracking chip and a compartment therefor.

FIG. 8 illustrates a first embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 11 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a footwear attachment system.

FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachment system and a storage compartment.

FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising an attachment system and a storage compartment.

FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachment system and a tracking chip.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally, the presently disclosed invention is footwear enhanced to offer certain features in various embodiments. For the purpose of brevity and convenience, various embodiments of the present invention may be referred to as “footwear” herein. Further, in the preferred embodiments, and as illustrated in the Figures, the inventions are applied to “sandals,” also referred to as “thongs” or “flip flops.” Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention may also be referred to as “sandals” herein. However, naming conventions, as used herein, are not intended to narrow the scope of the present invention, and one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the inventions disclosed herein are also applicable to other types of footwear, including boots, slippers, sneakers, dress shoes, and others.

The enhancements disclosed herein generally relate to three areas of improvements in footwear: utility, safety, and attachment. As used herein, utility enhancements generally refer to features that offer additional uses and functionality to the user of the disclosed footwear. Safety enhancements refer to the safety features added pursuant to the disclosed invention. Attachment features refer to the improved footwear attachment, storage, and/or carrying features disclosed herein.

Turning to the utility enhancements, FIGS. 1A-2B illustrate various embodiments and implementations of a sandal comprising a storage compartment and fastening mechanisms used therein. A major inconvenience experienced by beach and pool visitors is the lack of good storage options for small, yet important, items such as keys, access cards, membership cards, other cards, and other small items. Thus, for example, beach visitors frequently resort to inconvenient methods of carrying keys and credit cards, such as attaching the items to lanyards or bracelets, or bringing large empty book bags for the simple purpose of carrying a small item. The invention disclosed herein, including the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2B solve this problem.

In FIG. 1A, sandal 1000 is shown in a perspective view from the bottom of the sandal. Here, sandal 1000 has a storage compartment 1010, designed to house an item such as card 1030. In the illustrated embodiment, card 1030 is fastened to the sandal by two flaps 1020. Flaps 1020 are preferably rigid in order to store the item safely in the storage compartment, although some flexibility in the flaps may be permitted for easier ingress and egress of item 1030. The sandals are shown with optional grooves 1040, which may be of a different patterns or shapes as recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 1B shows sandal 1000 with card 1030 (shown with a dashed line) stored inside storage compartment 1010. As illustrated here, the fastening mechanism comprises two additional storage flaps 1050 not shown in FIG. 1A, positioned perpendicularly to flaps 1020. Depending on the configuration, four storage flaps may offer a more secure housing environment than two flaps, but inserting and removing items into the storage compartment may be more difficult with additional flaps. However, for certain items, such as card 1030 that meets the size and shape of storage compartment 1010, two flaps are sufficient to secure the item.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, if viewed from the side of sandal 1000, card 1030 is stored above the storage flaps 1020, inside storage compartment 1010, with the flaps applying pressure to card 1030 to keep it flush with the upper surface of storage compartment 1010. In an alternative embodiment, the item, such as card 1030, may be secured inside a storage compartment by prongs extending from the sides of storage compartment 1010 that apply pressure to the sides of card 1030, instead of its top or bottom surfaces.

FIG. 2A illustrates an alternative embodiment of a sandal with a storage compartment. Here, sandal 1000 comprises a storage compartment 1110 with a door 1120 instead of storage flaps 1020. For storage or carrying, item 1130 is positioned inside compartment 1110, and door 1120 is closed. As will be understood, when closed, door 1120 may be fixed to the sandal via a fastening mechanism such as a magnet, a clip, or other means. FIG. 2B illustrates one application of the sandal from FIG. 2A. In FIG. 2B, item 1130 is a holder configured to retain a key 1140. When the user slides key 1140 into the holder 1130, as illustrated by the dashed lines, the user may then slide the holder into storage compartment 1110 and close the door 1120.

In another embodiment, certain features illustrated in embodiments shown in FIGS. 1A-2B may be combined. For example, item 1130 from FIGS. 2A-2B may be fastened to the sandal as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1B. In addition, door 1120 from FIGS. 2A-2B may be used in addition to the fastening mechanism from FIGS. 1A-1B. Moreover, card 1030 may be stored in the compartment shown in FIGS. 2A-2B instead of item 1130. In other embodiments, card 1030 and/or item 1130 may be equipped with electronics, such as a GPS chip, a computer chip for storing certain information, and/or RFID technology. As referred to herein, GPS refers to a satellite based tracking system, such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), or its alternatives, including the GLONASS system.

Turning to a feature designed to improve comfort and safety of the person wearing the sandal, FIGS. 3-4 illustrate a drainage system comprising several grooves. It is well recognized that sandals frequently encounter wet conditions, and wet sandals may lead to dangerous accidents, such as slips and falls. Moreover, wearing wet footwear is rarely considered to be a pleasant experience. These concerns are addressed by the following embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the front of the disclosed sandal 3000. Also shown in FIG. 3 are the bottom portion of the sandal 3010 and top portion 3020. Rectangle 3030 is used to illustrate a placeholder described further in the specification. Lines 3040 are used to indicate the cross-sectional area illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D. FIGS. 4A-4D are cross-sectional illustrations of various embodiments of the bottom portion of the sandal. It will be understood that the bottom portion of the sandal may be of various shapes and configurations, and FIGS. 4A-4D focus on various groove embodiments of the drainage system.

The drainage system, comprising of several grooves arranged longitudinally in the bottom portion of the sandal, solves several deficiencies of presently existing sandals. First, in the preferred embodiment, the grooves collect water in wet conditions, thereby removing excess water from the top of the sole. Second, in the preferred embodiment, the grooves run across the entire length of the sandal, culminating in cut-out openings at the front of the sandal, as illustrated in FIG. 3. This allows the water to drain out of the sandal through the grooves. By removing excess water from the top of the sandal's sole, the person wearing the sandal becomes less prone to slip on the wet sandal. To increase the anti-slip effectiveness of the sandal, the sole of the sandal may also be made of various rubberized materials, and/or with different textures designed to increase grip with the foot.

The grooves may be of various shapes, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D. In FIG. 4A, grooves 4010 are semicircular in their cross-section. In FIG. 4B, grooves 4020 are trapezoidal in their cross-section. In FIG. 4C, grooves 4010 are triangular in their cross-section. In FIG. 4D, grooves 4010 are rectangular in their cross-section. Although in the preferred embodiment sandal's grooves are semi-circular, or round, various other shapes may be used as shown above to increase safety, improve draining, and/or decrease manufacturing costs.

In another embodiment of the present invention, one or more surfaces of the sandals are covered with a cooling gel. In the preferred embodiment, a layer of cooling gel is applied to the surface of the sole supporting the foot, and also to the straps of the sandal interfacing the foot. In this configuration, all surfaces of the sandal that touch the human foot are covered with cooling gel, and provide a variety of benefits to the owner, such as cooler temperatures, pain relief, and anti-inflammatory properties.

In the preferred embodiment the sandals are constructed of lightweight materials, such as rubberized plastic. Depending on the mechanisms and features selected, the sandals may be made of, or include, other materials, such as leather, neoprene, petroleum, memory foam, polyester, polymers, and vulcanized and other rubbers. Other sandal materials may include cotton, wool, silk, metals, animal skins, faux leathers, furs, and faux furs.

Turning to another utility improvement, FIGS. 5 and 7 illustrate location-tracking embodiments of the disclosed sandals. In FIG. 5, sandal 2000 is shown with the front portion cut off at line 5030. In this embodiment, the sandal comprises a location-tracking device 5020, which is inserted into holding compartment 5010. Tracking device 5020 may be a GPS chip, an RFID tag, or another type of tracking technology. The sandal may optionally comprise other components of a location-tracking system, not shown in the figure, such as a cellular tower transceiver and antenna, or a Bluetooth module for connectivity to a mobile phone or other device. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the tracking device is inserted into holding compartment 5010. In the preferred embodiment, the tracking device is locked in the holding component using a fastening mechanism. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the fastening mechanism may be spring-loaded or latch based, similar to mechanisms used to accept MicroSD cards by mobile devices.

In FIG. 5, the tracking device and holding compartment appear in the heel portion of the sandal. Depending on the type of footwear, the heel portion may support the most weight and experience the most pressure. Accordingly, the holding compartment may be hardened to withstand the force exerted on it by feet, in order to safeguard the tracking device. It will be understood that, for various types of footwear, it may be preferable to move the holding compartment to a different location. In FIG. 7, holding compartment 5010 appears closer to the middle of sandal 5000 as viewed from the side, at the location where the human foot ordinarily arches up. In this embodiment, the holding compartment, and tracking device 5020, are placed in a location with minimal expected force from the human foot. It will be understood that the tracking device may be positioned in other areas of the sandal, including, for example, inside strap 5030. The ability to track footwear offers a number of utility functions, including tracking steps walked or run for fitness purposes, the location of the shoes themselves in case of loss or misplacement, and the ability to track the person wearing the shoe, which would be a welcome advantage for parents wanting to track their children's whereabouts.

In another embodiment, the sandals disclosed herein offer various useful lighting options. One embodiment of a sandal configured with lights is illustrated in FIG. 6. Here, sandal 6000 is equipped with arrays of lights 6010 embedded into the outer facing surfaces of upper portion 6020 and lower portion 6030. Rectangle 6040 is a placeholder, similar to 3030, further described below. Lights 6010 are preferably LED lights, although other lighting technologies may also be employed. Lights 6010 are also preferably capable of glowing in different colors. The disclosed lighting system offers significant functionality to the sandal owner. In one embodiment, the lights may be configured to turn on and off periodically, which may be useful to people walking around at night as a safety feature. In another embodiment, the lights may be configured to turn on and off in a specific pattern or color as a notification option for incoming messages, emails, or voice mails, which may be useful for sandals paired to a mobile device. Here, for example, the sandal may flash in short bursts of blue to indicate that an incoming Facebook message is waiting on the user's phone. In another embodiment, the lights may be configured to show a pattern of colors depending on the user's fitness activity for the day. Thus, for example, the lights may glow in a red color in the morning, and as the user gets closer to the walking distance goal for the day, the lights may turn toward a green color. Other light configurations are possible with the disclosed system, including configurations related to locations, notifications, nearby friends, emergencies, and others.

In the preferred embodiment, footwear equipped with lighting and location tracking systems comprises a computer controller. The controller may be a programmable microprocessor, or a specifically designed chip. In certain embodiments, the controller may be a field-programmable gate array, or other types of embedded controllers. The controller may, depending on the sandal's configuration, be comprised of several subsystems, such as the lighting control system or controller, and the location tracking system or controller. In certain embodiments, the various controllers used in the sandal are programmable via a wireless connection, through a specially adapted software application, or a website interface. The disclosed sandal is preferably configured with a battery used to power the lighting and microprocessor systems, and optionally the location tracking and other systems disclosed herein. In other embodiments, the sandal may offer a kinetic charging option, where the user's movement and pressure on the sole of the sandal generates electricity used to power the various onboard components.

Rectangles 3030 and 6040 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, respectively, are used to illustrate placeholders for decorative elements or design components that may be used in one or more embodiments of the present invention. For example, the sandals disclosed herein may be constructed with a three (or two) dimensional design component, positioned a the top of the straps. The design component may be, for example, a duck, piglet, eagle, bear, robot, or other feature. In various embodiments, the design components may be constructed as part of the sandal, or they may be attachable through a latch, clip-on, and/or a magnetic mechanism.

Turning to footwear storage features, it is well recognized that people are prone to misplace one, or both, pairs of footwear—either due to children playing at home, a mischievous pet, such as a dog, or simply due to a lack of concentration and forgetfulness. It is therefore one aspect of the present invention to offer convenient storage and/or carrying options for footwear. FIGS. 8-11 illustrate various mechanisms for attaching two pairs of sandals together, although the mechanisms are equally applicable to other types of footwear.

In FIG. 8, sandals 8010 and 8020 are held together by strings 8030. As shown, the sandals owner ties the strings together in order to hold the pair of footwear together. Other attachment options are available, including strings with buttons at the ends which can be used to clip the two strings together. Turning back to FIG. 8, strings 8030 are attached to the sandals via spring mechanisms 8040. Spring 8040 is designed to pull string 8030 inside the sandal through opening 8060. Thus, if the strings are not tied together, the strings don't dangle outside of the sandal. Preferably, strings 8030 have a stopper mechanism at the protruding end in order to prevent the string from being pulled entirely inside sandals 8010 and 8020. Furthermore, when the strings are attached to each other, spring mechanisms 8040 pull strings 8030 inside the sandals, bringing both sandals closer together, and making them easier to carry, or to hang up by the strings. In the illustrated embodiment, dashed rectangular boxes 8050 illustrate a mechanism for holding spring elements 8040 inside the sandals.

FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of a footwear attachment mechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 are held together by strings 8030, which protrude from the sandals through openings 8060, similarly to FIG. 8. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the string retraction mechanism is not a cylindrical shaped spring positioned longitudinally inside the sole of the sandals as in FIG. 8. Rather, here, springs 8070 are wound concentrically around an axis 8075 positioned orthogonally to the plane of the sole of the sandal. Stated differently, the axis around which springs 8070 are wound projects upward from the sheet of paper on which FIG. 9 appears. In the preferred embodiment, wound springs 8070 are approximately the size of a U.S. quarter. As noted previously with reference to FIG. 8, strings 8030 may be tied together as shown in FIG. 9, or they may be attached by a different mechanism, such as buttons or clips.

FIG. 10 illustrates a third embodiment of a footwear attachment mechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 may be attached together by lower magnets 8080 and upper magnets 8090. To carry, or store, the sandals, a person would position the bottom plane of sandal 8010 against the bottom plane of sandal 8020. Once so positioned, depending on the strength of magnets 8080 and 8090, the magnet on one sandal would attract the magnet positioned opposite itself, and pull and hold the two sandals together. In other embodiments, certain “docking” mechanisms could be built into the sandals, such as grooves or locks, to make sure that the sandals would stay attached after the magnets attract. It should be noted that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, circles 8095 show the connection point of foot straps with the bottom portion of the sandal. It will be understood that in another embodiment, the foot straps may be molded directly to the bottom portion of the sandal without penetrating the bottom layer. In other embodiments, the entire sandal may be manufactured as a unitary mold.

FIG. 11 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a footwear attachment mechanism. Here, sandals 8010 and 8020 are attached together by a “button” mechanism, which comprises of a “male” button 1120 and “female” button 1130. To attach, and carry, the sandals together, a person would click male button 1120 into female button 1130.

One feature of the present invention is the ability to combine the above-described footwear mechanisms and features to produce footwear in various configurations. Various combinations of mechanisms and features described above are illustrated in FIGS. 12-14. These combinations are used for exemplary purposes only, and one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other combinations are possible.

FIG. 12 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising an attachment system 1210 (similar to that shown in FIG. 8) and storage compartments 1220. Compartments 1220 may be used to store cards, smart cards, keys, and other items as noted above. In the alternative, or in combination, compartments 1220 may be used to house the location-tracking components discussed above. FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of footwear comprising an attachment system 1310 (similar to that shown in FIG. 9) and storage compartments 1220 from FIG. 12. FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of footwear comprising “female” button, which serves as one part of an attachment system, and a tracking chip 1420. The above combinations illustrate several ways to combine the mechanisms and features disclosed herein.

The foregoing description of the various and preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and explanation. It is not intended to be exhaustive nor to limit the invention to the specifically disclosed embodiments. The embodiments herein were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand and practice the invention. However, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and are intended to fall within the scope of the invention, claimed as follows.

Claims

1. Enhanced footwear comprising:

a top portion, wherein the top portion is configured to secure a human foot to the enhanced footwear;

a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is configured to provide support for a human foot and wherein the bottom portion is attached to the top portion; and

a compartment configured to hold a removable item using an attachment mechanism.

2. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein the enhanced footwear is a sandal.

3. The enhanced footwear of claim 2, wherein the enhanced footwear is constructed as a unitary mold.

4. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein the compartment is a rectangular cutout in the bottom surface of the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear, and wherein the attachment mechanism comprises two or more prongs positioned inside the compartment.

5. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein the removable item is a card-shaped object.

6. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein the removable item is a carrier configured to accept a key.

7. The enhanced footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one surface of the enhanced footwear comprises a cooling material.

8. Enhanced footwear comprising:

a top portion, wherein the top portion is configured to secure a human foot to the enhanced footwear, and wherein the top portion comprises a volumetric design component;

a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is configured to provide support for a human foot, and wherein the bottom portion comprises one or more grooves positioned at the upper surface of the bottom portion and configured to drain liquid from the upper surface of the enhanced footwear;

a location tracking system positioned inside the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear.

9. The enhanced footwear of claim 8, wherein the location tracking system is a global positioning system (GPS) device.

10. The enhanced footwear of claim 9, wherein the location tracking system is removable.

11. The enhanced footwear of claim 8, further comprising:

one or more lights positioned on the outer surface of the enhanced footwear.

12. The enhanced footwear of claim 11, further comprising:

a wireless interface module configured to connect to a mobile device and receive indications of incoming mobile device communications; and

a lighting control system, wherein the lighting control system is configured to activate the one or more lights in response to the received indications of incoming mobile device communications.

13. The enhanced footwear of claim 11, further comprising a lighting control system, wherein the lighting control system is configurable by a user via a wireless connection.

14. Enhanced footwear comprising:

a top portion, wherein the top portion is configured to secure a human foot to the enhanced footwear;

a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion is configured to provide support for a human foot; and

a footwear attachment mechanism, wherein the footwear attachment mechanism is configured to attach a left footwear to a right footwear.

15. The enhanced footwear of claim 14, wherein the footwear attachment mechanism comprises:

one or more magnets arranged on the bottom surface of the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear.

16. The enhanced footwear of claim 15, further comprising a docking structure, wherein the docking structure guides the footwear into a pre-configured magnetic attachment position.

17. The enhanced footwear of claim 14, wherein the footwear attachment mechanism comprises:

an opening in the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear;

a spring loaded retraction mechanism positioned inside the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear; and

a string, wherein one end of the string is connected to the spring loaded retraction mechanism and the other end of the string extends outside of the bottom portion of the enhanced footwear through the opening.

18. The enhanced footwear of claim 14, wherein the footwear attachment mechanism comprises:

one or more buttons, wherein the mounting side of the button is attached to an outer surface of the enhanced footwear, and the connection side of the button faces outward from the footwear.

19. The enhanced footwear of claim 14, further comprising a volumetric design component positioned at the top portion of the enhanced footwear.

20. The enhanced footwear of claim 19, wherein the volumetric design component is removable from the enhanced footwear.