U.S. patent application number 09/877491 was filed with the patent office on 2002-12-12 for convertible shoe for skating device.
Invention is credited to Kan, Ming-Feng.
Application Number | 20020184795 09/877491 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25370084 |
Filed Date | 2002-12-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020184795 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kan, Ming-Feng |
December 12, 2002 |
Convertible shoe for skating device
Abstract
A convertible shoe for skating device includes: a shallow shell,
a pair of flexible reinforcing members respectively secured to the
shallow shell, and a pair of convertible upper members each
detachably fastened to each flexible reinforcing member for forming
a skate shoe; whereby upon detachment of one pair of old upper
members, another pair of new upper members of different decorative
features or designs may be provided to substitute the old upper
members for diversified selectivity and comfortable wearing of the
skate shoes.
Inventors: |
Kan, Ming-Feng; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Ming-Feng Kan
P.O. Box 55-846
Taipei
104
TW
|
Family ID: |
25370084 |
Appl. No.: |
09/877491 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/115 ; 36/100;
36/101 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 11/12 20130101;
A43B 5/1633 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/115 ; 36/100;
36/101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 005/04; A43B
005/16 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A convertible shoe for skating device comprising: a shallow
shell adapted to be mounted on a frame of a skating device; a pair
of flexible reinforcing members respectively secured on a right and
a left side portion of said shell; and a pair of convertible upper
members each detachably fastened to each said flexible reinforcing
member; whereby upon detachment of said upper members from said
reinforcing members, said pair of upper members will be substituted
with another pair of upper members for selecting upper members
having different decorative features and designs thereof.
2. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein said shallow
shell includes: a sole portion adapted to be mounted on a frame of
a skate, a toe enclosing portion formed on a front end of the shell
for enclosing a wearer's toe portion, a pair of shallow side walls
formed on a right and left side of the sole portion having a low
height of each said side wall, and an ankle enclosing portion
formed on a rear end of the shell for protecting the wearer's ankle
portion.
3. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said
flexible reinforcing member is selected from the group consisting
of: plastic, rubber, elastomers, and sheet materials having good
flexibility and strength.
4. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said
reinforcing member is sewn to the shell by stitching threads.
5. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said
reinforcing member is secured to the shell by riveting.
6. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said
reinforcing member is formed with a plurality of ventilation holes
through the reinforcing member.
7. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said
convertible upper member has a lower edge portion thereof fastened
to each said flexible reinforcing member by a fastener.
8. A convertible shoe according to claim 1, wherein each said upper
member is made of fabric, leather and sheet materials having good
touch feeling, flexibility and capable of being formed with
decorative features thereon.
9. A convertible shoe according to claim 7, wherein said fastener
is a zip fastener including a first-row teeth longitudinally formed
on the flexible reinforcing member which is secured to the shell; a
second-row teeth longitudinally formed on a lower edge portion of
the convertible upper member; and a sliding tab slidably coupling
the first-row teeth with the second-row teeth for detachably
fastening the convertible upper member to the flexible reinforcing
member.
10. A convertible shoe according to claim 7, wherein said fastener
is a tape fastener including: a first strip having tiny hooked
threads formed on said first strip and secured to the reinforcing
member as secured to the shell; and a second strip having a coarse
surface formed on said second strip and formed on an inside surface
of the upper member; whereby upon pressing of the second strip and
the first strip of the tape fastener, the upper member will be
detachably fastened to the reinforcing member.
11. A convertible shoe according to claim 7, wherein said fastener
is a button fastener including: a plurality of buttons
longitudinally formed on the reinforcing member; and a plurality of
button holes longitudinally formed on the upper member; whereby
upon fastening of the buttons with the button holes, the upper
member will be detachably fastened to the reinforcing member.
12. A convertible shoe for skating device comprising: a shallow
shell having a low-height side wall circumferentially formed on
said shell, said shell securable on a frame of a skating device; at
least a flexible reinforcing member formed as a flexible sheet
secured to said shell; and at least a convertible upper member made
of fabric and leather, and secured to said flexible reinforcing
member and disposed on an outer surface of said reinforcing member,
and having a lower periphery of said upper member approximating
said shallow shell.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] A conventional shoe for roller skate as shown in FIGS. 12,
13 is formed with a rigid plastic shell P which is then fastened
with buckles B, cuff C and lined with padding Pa for skating use.
However, it has the following drawbacks:
[0002] 1. The shoe upper is majorly formed with rigid plastic shell
P with high side walls, lacking of flexibility to thereby easily
cause poor maneuverability or even cause injury to the skate
player.
[0003] 2. Each shell integrally forms a "shoe upper" which is not
convertible to change decorative features on the shell, thereby
lacking of ornamental versatility and vividness for the player's
interest.
[0004] 3. The surface of the plastic shell gives a poor touch
feeling, easily deteriorating the product quality or influencing
the product quality grades.
[0005] The present inventor has found the drawbacks of the
conventional roller-skate shoe and invented the present convertible
shoe for skates.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a
convertible shoe for skating device including: a shallow shell, a
pair of flexible reinforcing members respectively secured to the
shallow shell, and a pair of convertible upper members each
detachably fastened to each flexible reinforcing member for forming
a skate shoe; whereby upon detachment of one pair of old upper
members, another pair of new upper members of different decorative
features or designs may be provided to substitute the old upper
members for diversified selectivity and comfortable wearing of the
skate shoes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is an illustration of the shoes of the present
invention when formed as an in-line skate.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is an illustration showing the shell secured with the
reinforcing members thereon.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional drawing as viewed from FIG.
3.
[0011] FIG. 5 shows another securing method of the present
invention as modified from FIG. 4.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a side view of the shell having the reinforcing
member secured thereon.
[0013] FIG. 7 shows a convertible upper member adapted to be
fastened to the reinforcing member as shown in FIG. 6 by a zip
fastener.
[0014] FIG. 8 shows another shell secured with a reinforcing member
provided with a Velcro tape fastener thereon.
[0015] FIG. 9 shows another upper member adapted to be fastened to
the reinforcing member by Velcro tape fastener of FIG. 8.
[0016] FIG. 10 shows still another shell having button fastener
provided on the reinforcing member secured on the shell.
[0017] FIG. 11 shows still another upper member adapted to be
fastened to the reinforcing member by the button fastener.
[0018] FIG. 12 shows a rigid shell of a conventional skate
shoe.
[0019] FIG. 13 shows a conventional shoe as made from the shell as
shown in FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1.about.7, the present invention
comprises: a shallow shell 1 made of plastic materials, a pair of
flexible reinforcing members 2 respectively secured to a right and
a left side portion of the shell 1, and a pair of convertible upper
members 3 each fastened to each reinforcing member 2 by a fastener
4.
[0021] The shallow shell 1 includes: a sole portion 11 adapted to
be mounted or secured on a frame F of an in-line skate as shown in
FIG. 1 (or any other skating devices including roller skate, ice
skate, etc.); a toe enclosing portion 12 formed on a front end of
the shell 1 for enclosing a wearer's toe portion, a pair of shallow
side walls 13 formed on a right and left side of the sole portion
11 having a low height of each side wall 13, and an ankle enclosing
portion 14 formed on a rear end of the shell for protecting the
wearer's ankle portion.
[0022] The shallow shell 1 is so designated because a shallow or
low-height side wall 13 may not form a very hard or rigid side wall
for the skate shoe. The too rigid shell will influence the
maneuverability of the skating skill and may make the skate player
uncomfortable. So, the present invention discloses a low-height or
shallow shell 1 for a comfortable wearing and a maneuverable
skating.
[0023] Each flexible reinforcing member 2 is made of flexible sheet
or plate member including: plastic, rubber, elastomers, or any
other materials having proper flexibility, elasticity and
strength.
[0024] Each reinforcing member 2 may be sewn to the shell 1 by
stitching threads S as shown in FIGS. 3, 4; or each reinforcing
member 1 be secured to the shell 1 by riveting R as shown in FIG.
5. Each reinforcing member 2 has its bottom edge portion 22 further
riveted to the sole portion 11 of the shell 1.
[0025] The reinforcing member 2 may be formed with a plurality of
ventilation holes 21 through the reinforcing member 2 for better
ventilation for the wearer's foot when a fabric upper 3 is disposed
on the reinforcing member 2.
[0026] Each convertible upper member 3 has its lower edge portion
31 fastened to each flexible reinforcing member 2 by a fastener 4
as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 2, and a flap 32 formed on an upper edge
of the upper member 3 having a plurality of eyelets 33 formed in
each flap 32 so that the pair of flaps 32 may be tied together by a
shoelace L and further fastened by a buckle B and power strap Ps as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0027] The upper member 3 is made of fabric, leather or other upper
materials suitable for making a shoe upper having good touch
feeling, flexibility and capable of being formed with decorative
features thereon.
[0028] The fastener 4 as shown in FIGS. 6, 7 is a zip fastener and
includes a first-row teeth 41 longitudinally formed on the flexible
reinforcing member 2 which is secured to the shell 1; a second-row
teeth 42 longitudinally formed on a lower edge portion 31 of the
convertible upper member 3; and a sliding tab 43 slidably coupling
the first-row teeth 41 with the second-row teeth 42 for detachably
fastening the convertible upper member 3 to the flexible
reinforcing member 2 as shown in FIG. 2.
[0029] Two (right and left) upper members 3 are respectively
fastened to the two reinforcing members 2 by two zip fasteners 4 in
order to complete a shoe to be mounted on an in-line roller skate
as shown in FIG. 1, or any other skating devices (not shown).
[0030] The fastener may be modified to be a Velcro tape fastener 4a
as shown in FIGS. 8, 9, which includes: a first strip 41a having
tiny hooked threads formed on the first strip and secured to the
reinforcing member 2 secured to the shell 1 (FIG. 8); and a second
strip 42a having a coarse surface formed on the second strip and
formed on an inside surface of the upper member 3 (FIG. 9); whereby
upon pressing of the second strip 42a and the first strip 41a of
the Velcro tape fastener 4a, the upper member 3 will be detachably
fastened to the reinforcing member 2.
[0031] As shown in FIGS. 10, 11, the fastener may be modified to be
a button fastener 4b, which includes: a plurality of buttons (or
male buttons) 41b longitudinally formed on the reinforcing member 2
(FIG. 10); and a plurality of button holes (or female buttons) 42b
longitudinally formed on the upper member 3 (FIG. 11); whereby upon
fastening of the buttons 41b with the button holes 42b, the upper
member 3 will be detachably fastened to the reinforcing member
2.
[0032] Since the upper member 3 may be detachably fastened to the
reinforcing member 2 as secured on the shell 1, different upper
members with different decorative features or designs on the upper
members 3 may be optionally selected to be fastened on the shell 1,
thereby providing diversified decorative features for vividly
satisfying the player's interest.
[0033] If the player has no interest to always change his or her
skate decorative features, the upper member 3 may be directly sewed
to the reinforcing member 2 on the shell 1 for simplifying the shoe
production by eliminating the installation of the fasteners 4.
[0034] The present invention is superior to any conventional skate
shoes with the following advantages:
[0035] 1. The upper member 3 is convertible for diversifying the
decorative features or designs for player's interesting
selections.
[0036] 2. The shell 1 is formed as a "shallow" shell, substantially
decreasing the height of the side walls of the shell and thereby
increasing the flexibility of the upper member 3 for a comfortable
wearing and a controllable maneuverability when skating.
[0037] 3. The conventional plastic shell 1 is changed to be an
upper member 3 which is made of fabric for a better touch feeling
and an enhanced product quality level; and also for a better
operational maneuverability.
[0038] 4. The reinforcing member 2 is formed with a plurality of
ventilation holes 21 for better ventilation when wearing the
shoe.
[0039] 5. Production cost (such as mold cost for preparing the
molds for making plural diversified conventional shells) can be
greatly saved by merely preparing few molds for making the shallow
shells 1. The different uppers can be easily obtained with lower
cost since the fabric uppers 3 of the present invention may be
easily made such as by cutting a cloth, without requiring each mold
for making each conventional plastic shell.
[0040] The convertible shoe as shown in FIG. 1, even being tied
with laces L and fastened by buckle B, is further fastened by a
power strap Ps for ensuring a firm wearing of the shoe and for
preventing from loosening of the relevant elements forming the
shoe.
[0041] The pair of upper members 3 may also be modified to be an
unique upper member (not shown) having a fastener circumferentially
formed on a lower periphery of the upper member 3 in order to be
fastened to the reinforcing member (or members) secured on the
shell 1.
[0042] The present invention may be modified without departing from
the spirit and scope of the present invention.
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