U.S. patent application number 10/217765 was filed with the patent office on 2004-02-12 for footwear insert to prevent foot sliding.
Invention is credited to Brannon, Karen E..
Application Number | 20040025377 10/217765 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31495226 |
Filed Date | 2004-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040025377 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brannon, Karen E. |
February 12, 2004 |
Footwear insert to prevent foot sliding
Abstract
The embodiment of the present invention is directed to
comfortable insert that prevents a foot from slipping while
remaining thin enough to be hidden when worn with open toed
footwear, shoes or sandals. When used with open toed footwear, the
insert prevents a person's toes from extending over a front edge of
the footwear. The insert may be used for men and women's footwear,
and it may be made in a variety of colors and shapes. Furthermore,
the insert may be made in a variety of sizes to correspond to
small, medium, and large shoe sizes. The insert may be made out of
a number of different materials that provide traction to inhibit
foot sliding in footwear.
Inventors: |
Brannon, Karen E.; (Redding,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Otto O. Lee
Suite 1205
12 South First Street
San Jose
CA
95113
US
|
Family ID: |
31495226 |
Appl. No.: |
10/217765 |
Filed: |
August 12, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/59R ;
36/71 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 13/226 20130101;
A43B 23/28 20130101; A43B 17/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/59.00R ;
36/71 |
International
Class: |
A43C 015/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: a
first end, a second end, a center, a bottom, a top, and one or more
edges, with said bottom being attachable to an inside of footwear
and said top having a grippable material for providing grip for a
foot in contact with said top, whereby said insert is concealable
and prevents the foot from substantially sliding forward.
2. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert is made of material
selected from the group consisting of: sponge, leather, fabric,
cork, foam, elastomer, and thermoplastic.
3. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert is made from
polychloroprene.
4. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert is made from
rubber.
5. An insert as in claim 1 further comprising an inner perimeter
spaced at a minimum of about 1/8 in (3.175 mm) inwards from the
edges of the insert to define a border, and wherein the border has
a thickness tapering down from the inner perimeter to the
edges.
6. An insert as in claim 1 wherein said insert is thickest at said
center, thinnest at said edges, and has a thickness that varies
between the edges and the center.
7. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert is shaped as an ovoid
and the first end is wider than the second such that when worn, the
first end is positioned on a medial side of a foot under a first
metatarsal and the second end is thereby positioned near a lateral
side of the foot.
8. An insert as in claim 7 wherein the insert at a widest point of
the first end has a width of about 1-1.25 inches, a width at a
point near the second end of about 0.75-1 inches, and a length of
about 2-2.5 inches.
9. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert has four edges,
wherein two of the four edges correspond to the first end and
second end respectively and are straight edges, and two of the four
edges are curved.
10. An insert as in claim 1 wherein the insert has a width of about
1.25-1.5 inches and a length of about 3-3.5 inches.
11. An insert as in claim 1 having a maximum thickness of about
{fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm) and a minimum thickness of about
0.5 mm (0.0197 in).
12. An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: a
pad of non-slip material with a bottom, a top, a center, a first
end, a second end, an inner perimeter, and one or more edges, with
said bottom being capable of fastening to an interior of footwear,
with said top inhibiting the sliding of a foot and preventing toes
from extending over a front end of open toed footwear, and wherein
said pad is thin enough to be hidden by a foot even when worn with
open toed footwear, with said pad being thickest at the center and
thinnest at the edges, with a thickness tapering from the inner
perimeter to the edges.
13. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the insert is made of material
selected from the group consisting of: sponge, leather, fabric,
rubber, cork, foam, elastomer, and thermoplastic.
14. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the insert is made from
polychloroprene.
15. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the inner perimeter is spaced
at a minimum of about 1/8 in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edges of
the pad to define a border, and wherein the border has a thickness
tapering down from the inner perimeter to the edges.
16. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the pad is shaped as an ovoid
and the first end is wider than the second end.
17. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the pad has four edges,
wherein two of the four edges correspond to the first end and
second end respectively and are straight edges, and two of the four
edges are curved.
18. An insert as in claim 12 wherein the pad has a width of about
1.25-1.5 inches and a length of about 3-3.5 inches.
19. An insert as in claim 12 having a maximum thickness of about
{fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm) and a minimum thickness of about
0.5 mm (0.0197 in).
20. An insert for providing traction inside footwear comprising: a
bottom, a top, a center, a first end, a second end, one or more
edges, and an inner perimeter, with said bottom being capable of
fastening to an interior of footwear, with said top made of
polychloroprene for inhibiting a foot from sliding, wherein said
insert is thin enough to be hidden by a foot even when worn with
open toed footwear and said pad is thickest at the center and
thinnest at the edges, wherein the inner perimeter is spaced at a
minimum of about 1/8 in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edges of the
pad to define a border that tapers from the inner perimeter to the
edges, wherein the insert is shaped as an ovoid and the first end
is wider than the second end, such that when worn, the insert is
positioned horizontally across the footwear to contact a ball of a
foot, with the first end on a medial side of the ball and the
second end on a lateral side of the ball, wherein a maximum
thickness of said insert is about {fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm)
and a minimum thickness of said insert is about 0.5 mm (0.0197 in).
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Field of Invention
[0002] This invention relates to an insert that prevents a person's
feet from slipping within footwear. Specifically, the present
invention prevents slipping in open and closed toed footwear, high
heeled shoes, and sandals.
[0003] Slipping may occur whenever there is inadequate support or
frictional resistance for a foot inside a shoe, which may be the
result of either the style or the fit of the shoe. When a person
walks forward, friction between the ground and their shoes hold the
shoes in place during the course of each step. Friction between the
interior surfaces of a shoe and a person's foot help prevent
slipping within the shoe. If the shoes do not provide sufficient
support or frictional resistance for a foot, the momentum of a
person's foot may not be halted until the foot has already slipped
and become crammed within the front of the shoe. In addition, the
foot may become uncomfortably chafed or abraded by shoe materials
while it slips within the confines of the shoe. Furthermore, in an
open toed shoe or sandal, the foot may not stop sliding forwards
until after a person's toes are hanging over the front edge of the
shoe, which exposes the toes to injury and infection by allowing
them to come in contact with rough objects and debris on the
ground.
[0004] For some shoes, aesthetic reasons for preventing a foot from
slipping may be just as critical as the functional reasons. For
example, in open toed, high heeled shoes, a foot is provided with
minimal support and covering while being held at an angle that
encourages a foot to slide forwards. The wearers toes may therefore
not only be exposed to injury, but the extension of the wearer's
toes may make the fit of the shoe appear unattractive. Slipping of
a foot may make even an expensive high heeled shoe appear ill
fitting, cheap, or awkwardly designed.
[0005] Similarly, men and women who wear sandals may also be
concerned about the appearance of their footwear. Even if sandals
do not have the inclined sole of high heeled shoes, the looser fit
of a sandal also encourages foot slipping. Sandal straps and thongs
may thus cause unpleasant and avoidable chafing, binding, or
pinching if a foot slips within the sandal.
[0006] Some currently existing inserts may be used to prevent a
foot from sliding within a shoe but only at the cost of taking up
significant room within a shoe for unnecessary padding. In a closed
toe shoe, thicker and wider inserts may cause the top of the foot
to chafe or to make the shoe feel as though it were a size too
small. Thicker and wider inserts may also create muscle fatigue by
adding an obstruction that toes must grip on in order to prevent
sliding. Another side effect of thicker and wider inserts may also
be the creation of unsightly calluses where the foot becomes
abraded by the insert or the shoe interior.
[0007] For wearers of high heeled shoes, appearance and fit are
both more important and more difficult to maintain. Because the
style of a high heeled shoe often requires that much of the foot be
exposed, the shoe lacks sufficient material to prevent a foot from
slipping. Also, because the foot is so exposed, a thick or wide
shoe insert worn with the shoe will be immediately and
unattractively apparent. In addition to styling problems, the
design of high heeled shoes inherently make slipping more likely. A
forward moving foot resting on an inclined surface is more apt to
lose contact with the surface and slip forwards than a foot resting
on a level surface. The problem is further aggravated by the smooth
soles incorporated into many high heeled shoes.
[0008] Using a thick, wide, visible insert is also unacceptable for
men and women who wear sandals. Although not normally worn with
formal attire, the appearance of a sandal remains a critical part
of a buyer's decision to purchase and wear the sandal. An insert
that is immediately visible to others is unlikely to be used with a
pair of sandals to resolve slipping issues.
[0009] For the foregoing reasons, there remains a need for an
insert that prevents slipping but which is thin and narrow enough
to avoid chafing within a closed or open toed shoe or sandal. In
addition, there is a need for a concealable shoe insert that
prevents a foot from sliding within closed and open toed footwear,
high heeled shoes, or sandals.
SUMMARY
[0010] The embodiment of the present invention is directed to an
insert that can prevent a foot from slipping while remaining thin
enough to be hidden when worn with open toed footwear, shoes or
sandals.
[0011] In order to achieve the purposes described above, an
embodiment of the present invention consists of a sheet of non-skid
material that has a maximum thickness near its center and a minimum
thickness near its edges. In an embodiment of the present
invention, there is a central region of constant thickness, and an
area between the minimum and maximum thickness areas where the
thickness varies. The nonskid surface helps prevent a foot from
slipping, and the thinness of the sheet and its edges make it
inconspicuous even in open toed shoes, sandals, and high heeled
shoes.
[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, the maximum
thickness of the sheet is about {fraction (1/16)} in (1.5875 mm).
In yet another embodiment, the minimum thickness of the sheet is
about 0.5 mm (0.019685). In still another embodiment, there is a
region of constant thickness near the edge of the sheet that is
bounded between the edge of the sheet and an inner perimeter spaced
at about 1/8 in (3.175 mm) inwards from the edge. In still yet
another embodiment, the sheet has the shape of an ovoid, with one
end being wider than the other. The present invention, in one of
its embodiments, may be made of rubber, although other materials
may also be used, including sponge, cork, thermoplastics, or
leather. In another embodiment, the insert is made of
polychloroprene.
[0013] In yet another embodiment, the insert is ovoid in shape, and
the insert at the first end has a width of about 1-1.25 inches, a
width at the second end of about 0.75-1 inches, and a length of
about 2-2.5 inches. In still another embodiment, the insert has
four edges, wherein two of the four edges correspond to the first
and second end and are straight edges, and two of the four edges
are curved. In another embodiment, the insert has a width of about
1.25-1.5 inches and a length of about 3-3.5 inches.
[0014] These and other embodiments of the present invention are
further made apparent, in the remainder of the present document, to
those of ordinary skill in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] These and other features, aspects and advantages of some
embodiments of the present invention will become better understood
with reference to the following description, appended claims and
the accompanying drawings, which are not to be considered
limitations in the scope of the invention, but are merely
illustrative.
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrated a perspective view of an embodiment of
the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of another embodiment of the
present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of an embodiment of the
present invention when in contact with the bottom of a wearer's
foot.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of
the present invention when inserted in an open toed heeled
shoe.
[0020] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of another embodiment
of the present invention when inserted in an open toed
footwear.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The description above and below and the drawings of the
present document focus on one or more currently preferred
embodiments of the present invention and also describe some
exemplary optional features and/or alternative embodiments. The
description and drawings are for the purpose of illustration and
not limitation. Those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize
variations, modifications, and alternatives. Such variations,
modifications, and alternatives are also within the scope of the
present invention. Section titles are terse and are for convenience
only.
[0022] One embodiment of the present invention is an insert that
provides traction inside of footwear without being noticeable even
when worn with open-toed shoes. The insert may be used by men,
women, and children in a variety of different kinds of footwear. It
occupies a minimum of space, which helps to make it concealable as
well as comfortable. By using a minimum of material, the insert
provides traction without reducing the available space within a
shoe, which makes it wearable even in closely fitting footwear. An
example of such footwear would include high heeled shoes. When used
with open toed footwear such as high heeled shoes, sandals,
flip-flops, or reef shoes, the insert helps to prevent toes from
extending beyond the front edge of a shoe, which may be unsightly
and unsafe.
[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the insert comprises a
sheet of grippable material with a first end (10), a second end
(15), a center (20), a bottom (25), a top (30), and one or more
edges (35). The insert may come in a variety of forms, any of which
may help with con fort, fit, improving traction, improving
concealability, or making it easier to use. In one embodiment, the
insert is thickest at the center (20) and thinnest at the edges
(35). In another embodiment, the insert is further comprised of an
inner perimeter (40) that defines a border (45) for the insert.
This inner perimeter (40) may be spaced at an 1/8 inch or more from
the edge (35) of the insert. The border (45) may also taper in
thickness from the inner perimeter (40) to the edge (35). The first
(10) and second ends (15) may be rounded, square, or have several
corners.
[0024] In yet another embodiment, the first end (10) may be wider
than the second end (15), like an ovoid shape. In using the insert
as illustrated in FIG. 4, the insert is positioned inside the
footwear such that the wider first end (10) is placed on the medial
side of the footwear and the narrower second end (15) is placed on
lateral side of the footwear. Therefore, the insert is positioned
to lay horizontally across the interior of the footwear such that
the ball of a person's foot contacts the insert. The first end (10)
of the insert is thus positioned comfortably on the side of the
footwear where the first metatarsal contacts the insert and the
second end (15) is positioned comfortably on the side where the
other metatarsals are located. This positioning is shown in FIG. 3,
whereby first end (10) contacts the big toe side and second end
(15) contacts the smaller toes side of the foot.
[0025] In other embodiments, the bottom (25) and top (30) may be,
among other forms, flat, concave, convex, textured, or varying in
shape. The thickness may therefore be constant or varying, and the
surface may not only have ridges but it may include protrusions.
The edge (35) of the sheet may be smooth, rounded, straight,
curved, jagged, fringed, or it may have angled corners.
[0026] For instance, as shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment for a
male version of the insert, two sides may be straight while two
sides are curved, with a width of about 1.25-1.5 inches and a
length of about 3-3.5 inches. FIG. 5 further illustrates how
placement of the insert is positioned in a left footed open toed
footwear such as a sandal, slipper or beach shoe. Alternatively, as
shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment for a female version of the insert
may be egg shaped, or ovoid, and it may be about 1-1.25 inches wide
at the widest part point of the insert, being the first end (10),
0.75-1 inches at a point near the second end (15), and 2-2.5 inches
long. FIG. 2, illustrates placement of such an ovoid shaped insert
in a left footed female's open toed heel. The shape may be purely
stylistic, or it may assist with fitting the insert into a shoe
while providing enough surface area to provide traction. Both male
and female inserts may come in small, medium and large sizes.
[0027] For example, the women's small size fits sizes from 5 to 7,
the medium fits sizes 7 to 9, and the large fits size 9 and
greater. The small women's size is approximately 1 inch in width at
the first end (10), about 0.75 inches at the point near the second
end (15), and about 2 inches in length. The large women's size is
about 1.25 inches at the first end (10), about 1 inch at the point
near the second end (15), and about 2.5 inches in length.
Similarly, the medium version of the male insert is about 1.25
inches wide and about 3 inches long, and it fits shoe sizes from 9
to 11. In addition, the large version is about 1.5 inches wide and
about 3.5 inches long, and it fits shoe sizes 11 and larger.
[0028] In alternative embodiments, the insert may be a single
continuous piece, an irregular shape, a piece with one or more
holes in it, or it may be made of several pieces. Other embodiments
might include a pattern of dots, strips, ridges, or panels that
individually form separate pieces but which together serve the
purpose of preventing foot sliding while remaining thin enough to
be concealed. In various embodiments, the insert may be
transparent, a solid color, patterned, or it may bear text or
designs on its surface. Examples of the colors it may come in
include: white, black, tan, red, or gold. The colors may be chosen
to match with the interior or exterior of a shoe, or they may be
chosen to match with the color of a person's clothing. When a
person removes his or her footwear, the footwear remains attractive
even with an insert in place because of the thin, narrow and
appealing design of the insert. The insert may come with adhesive
backing, or it may be made of an extremely tacky material that
resists slipping, or it may be fixable by an adhesive of the user's
choice.
[0029] An embodiment of the invention may be sold as a complete
piece, as part of a perforated sheet with different optional sizes,
or as a roll of material. In different embodiments, the shoe insert
may therefore be attached with an adhesive backing, glued, or
otherwise fastened to the inside of footwear.
[0030] In yet another embodiment, the maximum thickness is about
{fraction (1/16)} of an inch thick, which makes the overall insert
virtually unnoticeable even when worn with sandals. In another
embodiment, the minimum thickness is about 0.5 mm, which makes the
material at those points less noticeable, more flexible so they
conform better to the surface of footwear, and yet thick enough to
maintain structural integrity while resisting the stresses
encountered during slip prevention.
[0031] In yet another embodiment, the central area of the insert is
a constant thickness, and the border (45) thickness tapers from the
inner perimeter (40) to the edge (35). While the overall insert
must be thin enough to be concealed beneath a foot, the edges (35)
may be tapered to improve concealability of the insert, its ability
to conform to different surface shapes, its comfort and its ease of
use.
[0032] Embodiments of the present invention may be made out of a
variety of materials, including sponge, leather, fabric, cork,
foam, elastomer, and thermoplastic. One example of a material that
may be used is polychloroprene, which is commonly sold under the
trademark "Neoprene". The insert may also be made out of a natural
rubber. In these embodiments, the insert is thin and flexible
enough to conform to the interior of footwear, which helps avoid a
noticeable separation of the insert edges (35) from the shoe. Any
material that provides a grippable surface that is comfortable may
be used.
[0033] Throughout the description and drawings, example embodiments
are given with reference to specific configurations. It will be
appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present
invention can be embodied in other specific forms. Those of
ordinary skill in the art would be able to practice such other
embodiments without undue experimentation. The scope of the present
invention, for the purpose of the present patent document, is not
limited merely to the specific example embodiments of the foregoing
description, but rather is indicated by the appended claims. All
changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents
within the claims are intended to be considered as being embraced
within the spirit and scope of the claims.
* * * * *