Hands free shoehorn

Abstract

A hands free shoehorn is shown and described. The shoehorn includes a guide member for guiding a foot of a user into an opening of a shoe. A handle projects upwardly from the guide member to facilitate insertion and maneuvering of the shoehorn. An entrapment member generally parallel to the guide member captures a heel wall of the shoe between the guide member and the entrapment member in sufficiently close fit to enable the shoehorn to remain coupled to the shoe in an operative position without the shoehorn being held by the user. The user may then slip his or her foot into the shoe with the shoehorn stably mounted on the shoe such that the user need not either hold the shoe horn or balance body weight on one leg while donning the shoe.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Application Ser. No. 62/799,556, filed Jan. 31, 2019.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shoehorn to assist in donning footwear such as shoes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A shoehorn is an implement the purpose of which is to overcome sliding resistance encountered when a person attempts to insert his or her foot into footwear such as a shoe. A conventional shoehorn has a guide to guide insertion of the foot, and a handle. Ordinarily, the user must balance his or her body weight on one leg while inserting the foot of the other leg into the shoe. This can be awkward, uncomfortable, and may even lead to the user losing his or her balance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes awkwardness and balance issues by enabling the shoehorn to removably yet stably engage the shoe when donning the shoe. Notably, the user is not obliged to grasp the novel shoehorn when donning the shoe.

To these ends, the novel shoehorn includes a guide member for guiding the foot of the user into an opening of the shoe. A handle projects upwardly from the guide member to facilitate insertion and maneuvering of the shoehorn into position self-supported on the shoe. An entrapment member generally parallel to the guide member captures a heel wall of the shoe between the guide member and the entrapment member in sufficiently close fit to enable the shoehorn to remain coupled to the shoe in an operative position without the shoehorn being held by the user. The user may then slip his or her foot into the shoe with the shoehorn stably mounted on the shoe such that the user need not either hold the shoe horn or balance body weight on one leg while donning the shoe.

The shoe may be donned quickly and without awkward maneuvering of the foot or leg, and without losing balance.

The present invention provides improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side environmental view of the shoehorn in an operative position installed on a shoe;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a shoehorn similar to the shoehorn of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a shoehorn similar to the shoehorn of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a rear view of a shoehorn similar to the shoehorn of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a right side perspective view of a shoehorn similar to the shoehorn of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring first to FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the invention, there is shown a shoehorn 100 installed in an operative position on a shoe 10. In the operative position, shoehorn 100 engages a heel wall 12 of shoe 10 with sufficient contact and grip to remain in the operative position so that a human user (not shown) may don shoe 10 by merely stepping into shoe 10, with toes of the foot entering opening 14 of shoe 10 and progressing toward a toe 16 of shoe 10.

Referring also to FIGS. 2-5, shoehorn 10 comprises a guide member 102 for guiding the foot of the user into shoe 10. Guide member 102 comprises a proximal end 104 at an opening 14 of shoe 10 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10 and an opposed distal end 106 facing a heel 18 of shoe 100 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1). An entrapment member 108 is fixed to guide member 102 proximate proximal end 104 of guide member 102 and is configured such that a majority of a length of entrapment member 108 is parallel to guide member 102. Entrapment member 108 and guide member 102 collectively surround heel wall 12 of shoe 10 on two opposed sides of heel wall 12 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10 in a sliding fit sufficiently close such that shoehorn 100 will be retained on shoe 10 in the absence of manual grasp by the user. A handle 110 is fixed to guide member 102 proximate proximal end 104 of guide member 102 and projects from guide member 102 in a direction away from entrapment member 108.

Guide member 102 may be configured similarly to conventional guide members of conventional shoehorns (not shown). Notably, guide member 102 may include a smooth surface 112 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) enabling ready sliding of the foot of the user along guide member 102. Also, guide member 102 may be curved as shown to match or track curvature of heel wall 12.

For the purpose of this application, the terms proximal end 104 and distal end 106 may literally refer to the very ends of their associated portions of shoehorn 100, or alternatively, may be understood to designate the very ends and also portions extending along guide member 102, as context may dictate. Proximal end 104 and distal end 106 are labels for convenience, and should not be limited in scope to specific or discrete portions of guide member 102. Similarly, guide member 102 and handle 110 are not to be interpreted to calling out discrete parts of shoe horn 100. Rather, these are terms which functionally designate that portion of shoehorn 100 as context dictates. Note that guide member 102 and handle 110 may appear to visually form a single common member.

Length of entrapment member 108 will be understood to refer to that dimension of the latter extending along and generally parallel to an axis 114 in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, shoehorn 100 may further comprise a lateral stabilizer 116 projecting laterally from guide member 102, for opposing dislodging of shoehorn 100 from a longitudinal alignment with shoe 10 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10.

It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as laterally refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures, particularly FIG. 1, depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in posture and position of novel shoehorn 100 and shoe 10. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description, and do not limit the invention or its component parts in any particular way.

Longitudinal alignment of shoehorn 100 and shoe 10 refers to the operative position shown in FIG. 1, but particularly refers to handle 110 (where aligned along axis 114 with guide member 102) vertically oriented and not inclined to the right or left with respect to shoe 10 when shoe 10 rests on a horizontal surface. Lateral stabilizer 116 may extend entirely to respective right and left side walls (e.g., wall 20) of shoe 10, or alternatively, may fall short of actually contacting the side walls. As illustrated, lateral stabilizer 116 comprises a first wing 116A projecting to a right side of guide member 102 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10, and a second wing 116B projecting to a left side of guide member 102 when shoehorn 100 is installed on shoe 10. Of course, right and left refer to right and left sides of shoe 10.

Unless otherwise indicated, the terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used herein merely as labels, and are not intended to impose ordinal, positional, or hierarchical requirements on the items to which these terms refer. Moreover, reference to, e.g., a “second” item does not either require or preclude the existence of, e.g., a “first” or lower-numbered item, and/or, e.g., a “third” or higher-numbered item.

In an embodiment, handle 110 may be configured to incline relative to a sole 22 (FIG. 1) of shoe 10 and to project away from toe 16 of shoe 10. This configuration assures that handle 110 will not obstruct the user when attempting to insert his or her foot into shoe 10 with shoehorn 100 in the operative position.

In an embodiment, guide member 102 may be curved along a length thereof to conform to a curvature of heel wall 12 of shoe 10. Length of guide member 102 is that dimension extending along axis 114. This prevents guide member 102 from occupying more than the minimum necessary amount of space within shoe 10 when the foot of the user is being inserted into shoe 10. Curvature of guide member 102 is best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Shoehorn 100 may be fabricated from a form holding material such as a synthetic polymer or from metals. Form holding will be understood to signify that shoehorn 100 may be sufficiently pliable to bend under finger pressure or pressure of the foot as the latter is being inserted into shoe 10, but is sufficiently rigid to maintain its configuration against spontaneous slumping or other deformation in the absence of external forces such as finger pressure or contact with the foot during insertion. This characteristic enables shoehorn 100 to hold the operative position of FIG. 1 in use.

In an embodiment, and as called out in FIG. 2, guide member 102 may have a first width 120 and handle 110 may have a second width 122 equal to first width 120 of guide member 102. This may improve esthetics of shoehorn 100 and facilitate fabrication by injection molding shoehorn 100 from a synthetic polymer.

In an embodiment, and as called out in FIG. 3, guide member 102 may have the first width 120 and entrapment member 108 may have a third width 124 greater than first width 120 of guide member 102. These relationships enable entrapment member 108 to engage heel wall 12 (FIG. 1) securely.

In an embodiment, handle 110 may include a hole 126 for receiving a peg (not shown) for suspending shoehorn 100 from a vertical surface (such as a building wall, not shown).

Lateral stabilizer 116 may be internal to shoe 10 as shown and described, or alternatively, may span right and left walls 20 of shoe 10 and surround the right and left walls 20 from outside (this option is not shown).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.

Claims

1. A shoehorn comprising:

a guide member for guiding a foot of a user into a shoe, the guide member comprising a proximal end at an opening of the shoe when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe and an opposed distal end facing a heel of the shoe when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe;

an entrapment member fixed to the guide member proximate the proximal end of the guide member and configured such that a majority of the length of the entrapment member is parallel to the guide member, the entrapment member and the guide member collectively surrounding a heel wall of the shoe on two opposed sides of the heel wall when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe in a sliding fit sufficiently close such that the shoehorn will be retained on the shoe in the absence of manual grasp by the user; and

a handle fixed to the guide member proximate the proximal end of the guide member and projecting from the guide member in a direction away from the entrapment member.

2. The shoehorn of claim 1, further comprising a lateral stabilizer projecting laterally from the guide member, for opposing dislodging of the shoehorn from a longitudinal alignment with the shoe when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe.

3. The shoehorn of claim 2, wherein the lateral stabilizer comprises a first wing projecting to a right side of the guide member when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe, and a second wing projecting to a left side of the guide member when the shoehorn is installed on the shoe.

4. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the handle is configured to incline relative to a sole of the shoe and to project away from a toe of the shoe.

5. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the guide member is curved along a length thereof to conform to a curvature of the heel of the shoe.

6. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the shoehorn is fabricated from a form holding material.

7. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the guide member has a first width and the handle has a second width equal to the first width of the guide member.

8. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the guide member has a first width and the entrapment member has a third width greater than the first width of the guide member.

9. The shoehorn of claim 1, wherein the handle includes a hole for receiving a peg for suspending the shoehorn from a vertical surface.