MECHANISM FOR DETACHABLE CONFIGURATION OF FOOTWEAR
Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a mechanism for detachable configuration of footwear, a footwear assembly comprising: a top part; a bottom part; and a plurality of first magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of the top part and a plurality of second magnetic elements positioned on an upper surface of the bottom part. The plurality of second magnetic elements and the plurality of first magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that placement of the top part which is proximate to the bottom part.
The disclosed subject matter relates generally to a footwear assembly. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to the footwear that can be customized with interchangeable elements or parts by a magnetic attachment mechanism.
BACKGROUNDIt is generally accepted that trends in footwear can be mercurial, where the fashion goes out of style all too quickly. Moreover, there is a need for different styles of footwear to suit various occasions and activities. Said styles and fashions are always changing, calling for a continuous evolution in the way in which footwear production is being approached. Though the fashion requirements are more or less met, there exists a drawback in the methodologies associated with manufacturing footwear. The fact that each shoe is mostly limited to its design and purpose is a drawback. This limitation results in increased expenditure on footwear, which often go out of style quickly, resulting in wastage of money, natural resources and efforts spent in manufacturing. Furthermore, conventional footwear is manufactured by joining or assembling multiple parts therefore if one part of a shoe is damaged then the entire pair needs to be replaced with new footwear, which is expensive for the user.
In order to assemble a thing of footwear, generally an adhesive and/or stitching is utilized to permanently secure footwear components, such as an outsole, midsole, and upper, to one another. Generally, adhesives and stitching are required to create a lasting bond between the footwear components that withstands everyday wear and tear. As such, the components of the footwear may not be changed or replaced without significantly damaging the outsole, midsole, and upper such that a user must replace the entire thing of footwear or purchase several different types or styles of footwear based on the user's preferences and/or requirements. Accordingly, there is a need for footwear having a removable outsole, midsole, and upper that may be readily assembled and disassembled to customize the thing of footwear without the use of adhesives or stitching.
Conventionally, there have been attempts to revamp the manufacturing methods of footwear, wherein there have efforts in bringing a version of footwear in which the length of the heel can be varied, or sandals that have interchangeable tops. But, these efforts moreover cater to overcome the limitations of footwear that can be used by only one gender (female).
Thus, there exists a vacuum in the availability of footwear for unisex, men, women's and children's footwear. Currently, an individual looking to keep abreast with current trends in sneakers, boots or loafers will have to buy entirely new footwear. This is also true of the need to own different categories of footwear, ranging from formal to casual based on the needs and requirements of each individual.
In the light of aforementioned discussion, there exists a need for a mechanism in footwear that would overcome or ameliorate the above discussed limitations.
SUMMARYThe following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding to the reader. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure and it does not identify key/critical elements of the invention or delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
An objective of the present disclosure is directed towards providing flexibility in footwear.
Another objective of the present disclosure is directed towards allowing the user to use different soles to uppers, so as to completely change the look of the footwear without having to invest in an entirely new product.
Another objective of the present disclosure is directed towards enabling the user to switch up the look of the footwear with great ease and without the product occupying too much space.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a footwear assembly comprising an upper, a midsole, and an outsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a footwear assembly that comprises of two interchangeable elements or parts such as top part and bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a footwear assembly comprises of a middle part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of first magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of the top part and a plurality of second magnetic elements positioned on an upper surface of the bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of second magnetic elements and the plurality of first magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that placement of the top part which is proximate to the bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the top part comprises of only the upper.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the top part comprises of the upper and midsole securely attached.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom part comprises of only the outsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom part comprises of the midsole and outsole securely attached.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the middle part comprises of only the midsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the footwear assembly can be detachable into top part, made of the upper, middle part, made of the midsole and bottom part, made of the outsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the footwear assembly can be detachable into top part, made up of only the upper, and bottom part, comprising of the midsole and outsole permanently attached.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the footwear assembly can be detachable into top part, comprising of the upper and midsole permanently attached, and the bottom part, made up of only the outsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the footwear assembly can be detachable into the top part, made only of the upper, the bottom part, made up of only the outsole.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the footwear assembly can be customized with interchangeable elements or parts through the use of a magnetic attachment mechanism. The magnetic attachment mechanism includes magnetic elements having a polar region of the same polarity and at the opposite end magnetic elements having the polar region of the opposite polarity.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the top part and the bottom part each include correspondingly arranged magnetic elements adapted to be attractive one another such that placement of the top part which is proximate to the bottom part draws the bottom part into abutment with the top part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the bottom surface of top part includes the magnetic elements whilst the top surface of the bottom part includes the magnetic elements. The magnetic elements of the top part are attracted towards the respective magnetic elements of the bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the magnetic element is embedded within the bottom material of the top part. The magnetic element is placed just behind the surface that may touch the top most surface of the bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the magnetic elements which are being placed just under the top surface of the bottom part and the top surface of bottom part meets with the bottom surface of the top part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the top part has a male joint missing between the ankle and heel area, which then fits into the bottom part that has a female joint in the heel area. The magnetic elements are then placed within the male joint of the top part and the female joint in the bottom part. Another set of magnetic elements are placed in the toe area of the top part and the complementing area of the bottom part.
In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the top part has a convex shape; a magnetic element is placed in the convex shape. The bottom part has in the indent in the corresponding concave shape. A magnetic element may be lined along the surface of the concave shape, embedded within the bottom part.
In the following, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough description of various embodiments. Certain embodiments may be practiced without these specific details or with some variations in detail. In some instances, certain features are described in less detail so as not to obscure other aspects. The level of detail associated with each of the elements or features should not be construed to qualify the novelty or importance of one feature over the others.
It is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The present disclosure is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
The use of “including”, “comprising” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. Further, the use of terms “first”, “second”, and “third”, and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another.
The term “footwear” and/or “shoe” may be used herein for simplicity, in reference to various examples of the articles of footwear. However, concepts described herein may be applied to a variety of other types of footwear.” The general categories of footwear may include but is not limited to, athletic/sports shoes, formal/dress shoes, slippers, sandals, boots, casual/smart casual/slip ons, and the like. The men's dress shoes include, but are not limited to, oxfords, monks, derbies, loafers, moccasins, and the like. The women's shoes include, but are not limited to, heeled/non-heeled, sling back, slippers (men's, women's and children), sandals (unisex and for kids), mule (can be unisex and for kids), ballet flats/dolly shoes, and the like.
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The upper 102 comprises a body portion in which a foot is receivable and the midsole 104 extending along an underside of the body portion. The outsole 106 that is located underneath and supports the weight of a person's foot. The upper 102 which is located on top of the person's foot and holds the midsole 104 and outsole 106 to the user's foot. The upper 102 may comprise a large number of individual parts, often formed from different types of materials. The exemplary upper 102 depicted in
In additional examples, the user may change the upper 102, midsole 104, and outsole 106 for comfort. The user may change the upper 102, midsole 104, and outsole 106 for style or look; i.e. to switch from a casual to a more formal look. The user may choose to insert the midsole 104 having more or less arch support, shock absorption, and/or cushioning based on personal preference, for example. In another example, the user may choose a particular upper 102 for any of the reasons described (e.g., aesthetics, performance, comfort, etc.). As such, the user may customize the thing of footwear assembly 100 with any number of combinations of various and different uppers, outsoles, and midsoles.
In further examples, a retailer may assist a customer in choosing the upper 102, midsole 104, and/or outsole 106 based on the aesthetics, performance, and/or comfort. In one example, a retailer may assemble the customized thing of footwear assembly 100 from the chosen upper 102, midsole 104, and/or outsole 106 to allow a customer to try on the custom combination. Additionally, the retailer may permanently couple the preferred upper 102, midsole 104, and outsole 106 to one another for the customer. Alternatively, the footwear components 102, 104, and 106 may not be permanently fixed to each other, allowing the customer to change and/or swap different uppers, outsoles, and midsoles in order to generate various combinations of customized footwear assembly 100.
The upper 102 is interchangeable with various embodiments' of the outsole 106. Likewise, the outsole 106 is interchangeable with various embodiments of uppers 102. The interchangeability of various outsole 106 and uppers 102 allows the person to mix and match selected outsole 106 and selected uppers 102. The laces 108 are laced through eyelets 120. The eyelets 120 are configured to make lacing of the footwear assembly. The footwear assembly may be tightened around a foot by drawing the two ends of laces 108 tight. Additionally, as the lace 108 is drawn tight, straps are pulled in tension, such that slide grooves advance along rivets and support region of arch support is drawn against the insole 118 and the arch area of the foot. The toe box 112 is configured to receive and cover the instep and toes of the foot. The heel counter 114 supports and holds the person's ankle in place so as to limit footwear slipping or other unnecessary movement. The pull tab 116 extends upward from the junction of the heel counter 114 to provide a gripping portion to enable an attachment unit to be pulled onto the heel counter 114 of the footwear assembly. The midsole 104 may either be permanently attached to the upper 102 or to the outsole 106 or the midsole 104 may be completely absent in the footwear assembly. Additionally, the midsole 104 may be its own component and form the middle part 204 and be independently interchangeable with the top part 202 and bottom part 206.
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The first magnetic elements 208a-208c comprises of first charged poles and the second magnetic elements 210a-210c comprises of second charged poles, and the third magnetic elements 207a-207c also comprises of second charged poles and the fourth magnetic elements 209a-209c also comprises of first charged poles. The first magnetic elements 208a-208c of upper 102 is arranged to be different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective third magnetic elements 207a-207c of midsole 104. The second magnetic elements 210a-210c of outsole 106 is arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective fourth magnetic elements 209a-209c of midsole 104. The first magnetic elements 208a-208c of upper 102 is arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective second magnetic elements 210a-210c of the outsole 106. The third magnetic elements 207a-207c of midsole 104 may be a metallic sheet that is attractive to the first magnetic elements 208a-208c of upper 102. The fourth magnetic elements 209a-209c of midsole 104 may be a metallic sheet that is attractive to the second magnetic elements 210a-210c of the outsole 106.
The first magnetic elements may be adhered to the exterior or embedded within the bottom surface of the top part 202. The second magnetic elements may be adhered to the exterior or embedded within the upper surface of bottom part 206. The bottom part 206 is pulled in one direction and the top part 202 is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds the top part 202 and bottom part 206 together. The middle part 204 is pulled in one direction and the top part 202 is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds the midsole or middle part and the top part together. The middle part is pulled in one direction and the bottom part is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds the middle part and the bottom part together. The third magnetic elements that are embedded within the top layer of midsole or middle part and the fourth magnetic elements that are embedded within the bottom layer of midsole or middle part. The third magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the upper surface of the midsole or middle part and the fourth magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the lower surface of midsole or middle part. The third magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the upper surface of midsole or middle part and the fourth magnetic elements embedded within the bottom layer of midsole or middle part. The third magnetic elements embedded within the top layer of midsole or middle part and the fourth magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the bottom surface of midsole or middle part.
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In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the second magnetic elements 210a are embedded within the female joint 604 of bottom part 206 and the first magnetic elements 208a are embedded within the male joint 602 of top part 202. The first magnetic elements 208a and the second magnetic elements 210a are adhered to the exterior of male joint 602 of top part 202. The second magnetic elements 210a and the first magnetic elements 208a are adhered to the exterior of female joint 604 of bottom part 206.
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The magnetic elements in the footwear assembly may not be limited to particular numbers and certain positions. The magnetic elements may also not be limited to a particular polarity at certain positions in the footwear assembly, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.
According to the non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the magnetic elements in the footwear assembly are embedded within the surface (e.g., top part and/or bottom part) and/or positioned on the surface (e.g., top part and/or bottom part).
Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments and illustrations thereof, other embodiments and modifications to preferred embodiments may be possible that are within the principles and spirit of the invention. The above descriptions and figures are therefore to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive.
Thus the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.
Claims
1. A mechanism for detachable configuration of footwear, comprising:
- at least one top part;
- at least one bottom part; and
- a plurality of first magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of the at least one top part and a plurality of second magnetic elements positioned on a upper surface of the at least one bottom part, whereby the plurality of second magnetic elements and the plurality of first magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that placement of the at least one top part which is proximate to the at least one bottom part.
2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one top part has at least one upper.
3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein the at least one top part has at least one upper configured to secure at least one midsole.
4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one bottom part has at least one outsole.
5. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein the at least one bottom part has at least one midsole configured to secure the at least one outsole.
6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements comprises of first charged poles and the plurality of second magnetic elements comprises of second charged poles.
7. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements and the plurality of second magnetic elements are placed in the center line on the exterior surface of the at least one top part and the at least one bottom part.
8. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements are positioned to the outer corners of the at least one top part and the plurality of second magnetic elements are positioned to the outer corners of the at least one bottom part.
9. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements on the at least one top part are arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the plurality of second magnetic elements on the at least one bottom part.
10. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second magnetic elements on the at least one top part are arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the plurality of first magnetic elements on the at least one bottom part.
11. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one top part has both the plurality of first magnetic elements and the plurality of second magnetic elements arranged in an alternating fashion and the at least one bottom part has both the plurality of first magnetic elements and the plurality of second magnetic elements arranged in a way that oppositely corresponds to, and hence is attractive to the plurality of magnetic elements arranged on the at least one top part.
12. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second magnetic elements are placed on the at least one top part and the plurality of first magnetic elements are placed on the at least one bottom part.
13. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the at least one metallic sheet adhered to or embedded within the lower surface of the at least one top part and a plurality of magnetic elements placed on the upper surface of the at least one bottom part, such that the at least one metallic sheet is attractive to the plurality of magnetic elements.
14. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the at least one metallic sheet adhered to or embedded within the upper surface of the at least one bottom part and a plurality of magnetic elements placed on the bottom surface of the at least one top part, such that the at least one metallic sheet is attractive to the plurality of magnetic elements.
15. The mechanism of claim 9, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements that are embedded within the at least one top part.
16. The mechanism of claim 9, further comprising the plurality of second magnetic elements that are embedded within the at least one bottom part.
17. The mechanism of claim 9, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements that are adhered to the exterior of the at least one top part.
18. The mechanism of claim 9, further comprising the plurality of second magnetic elements that are adhered to the exterior of the at least one bottom part.
19. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the at least one top part is pulled in one direction and the at least one bottom part is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds the at least one top part and the at least one bottom part together.
20. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the at least one bottom part having at least one female joint and the at least one top part having at least one male joint.
21. The mechanism of claim 20, wherein the at least one male joint in the ankle and heel area on the at least one top part fits into the at least one female joint from a heel area on the at least one bottom.
22. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements and/or second magnetic elements are embedded within the at least one female joint of the at least one bottom part and the plurality of first magnetic elements and/or second magnetic elements are embedded within the at least one male joint of the at least one top part.
23. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements and/or the plurality of second magnetic elements are adhered to the exterior of the at least one male joint of the at least one top part.
24. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising the plurality of second magnetic elements and/or the plurality of first magnetic elements are adhered to the exterior of the at least one female joint of the one bottom part.
25. The mechanism of claim 20, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements and/or the plurality of second magnetic elements are adhered to or embedded within a toe area of the at least one top part and the plurality of second magnetic elements and/or first magnetic elements are adhered to or embedded within the complementing area of the at least one bottom part, positioned such that they attract.
26. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the at least one top part having at least one convex shape and the at least one bottom part having at least one corresponding concave shape.
27. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements and/or plurality of second magnetic elements positioned in the at least one convex shape and the plurality of second magnetic elements and/or plurality of first magnetic elements are lined along a surface of the at least one concave shape adhered to or embedded within the at least one bottom part, positioned such that they attract.
28. A mechanism for detachable configuration of footwear, comprising:
- at least one top part having at least one upper;
- at least one middle part having at least one midsole; at least one bottom part having at least one outsole;
- a plurality of first magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of at least one upper and a plurality of third magnetic elements positioned on an upper surface of at least one midsole, whereby the plurality of third magnetic elements and the plurality of first magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that the placement of at least one midsole is proximate to at least one upper;
- a plurality of second magnetic elements positioned on an upper surface of at least one outsole and a plurality of fourth magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of at least one midsole, whereby the plurality of fourth magnetic elements and the plurality of second magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that the placement of at least one midsole is proximate to at least one outsole; and
- a plurality of first magnetic elements positioned on a lower surface of at least one upper and a plurality of second magnetic elements positioned on an upper surface of at least one outsole, whereby the plurality of second magnetic elements and the plurality of first magnetic elements are adapted to be attractive to one another such that the placement of at least one outsole is proximate to the at least one upper.
29. The mechanism of claim 28, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements comprises of first charged poles and the plurality of second magnetic elements comprises of second charged poles; and the plurality of third magnetic elements also comprises of second charged poles and the plurality of fourth magnetic elements also comprises of first charged poles.
30. The mechanism of claim 29, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements of the at least one upper is arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective plurality of third magnetic elements of the at least one midsole.
31. The mechanism of claim 29, wherein the plurality of first magnetic elements of the at least one upper is arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective plurality of second magnetic elements of the at least on outsole.
32. The mechanism of claim 29, wherein the plurality of second magnetic elements of the at least one outsole is arranged to be a different polarity, and hence attractive to the respective plurality of fourth magnetic elements of the at least one midsole.
33. The mechanism of claim 29, wherein the plurality of third magnetic elements of the at least one midsole is a metallic sheet that is attractive to the plurality of first magnetic elements of the at least one upper.
34. The mechanism of claim 29, wherein the fourth magnetic elements of the at least one midsole is a metallic sheet that is attractive to the plurality of second magnetic elements of the at least one outsole.
35. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements that are embedded within the at least one top part.
36. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of second magnetic elements that are embedded within the at least one bottom part.
37. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of third magnetic elements that are embedded within the top layer of the at least middle part and the plurality of fourth magnetic elements that are embedded within the bottom layer of the at least one middle part.
38. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of third magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the upper surface of the at least one middle part and the plurality of fourth magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the lower surface of the at least on middle part.
39. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of third magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the upper surface of the at least one middle part and the plurality of fourth magnetic elements embedded within the bottom layer of the at least one middle part.
40. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of third magnetic elements embedded within the top layer of the at least one middle part and the plurality of fourth magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the bottom surface of the at least one middle part.
41. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of first magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the bottom surface of the at least one top part.
42. The mechanism of claim 28, further comprising the plurality of second magnetic elements adhered to the exterior of the upper surface of the at least one bottom part.
43. The mechanism of claim 28, wherein the at least one middle part is pulled in one direction and the at least one top part is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds at least one middle part and at least one top part together.
44. The mechanism of claim 28, wherein the at least one middle part is pulled in one direction and the at least one bottom part is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds at least one middle part and at least one bottom part together.
45. The mechanism of claim 28, wherein the at least one bottom part is pulled in one direction and the at least one top part is pulled in an opposite direction till the manual force overcomes the magnetic attraction that holds at least one bottom part and at least one top part together.
Type: Application
Filed: May 23, 2019
Publication Date: Jul 8, 2021
Inventors: DEEPESH DEEPESH (Jaipur), KRITI MATWANI (Secunderabad)
Application Number: 17/057,672