U.S. patent application number 10/699719 was filed with the patent office on 2004-08-26 for vacuum-suspended shoe.
Invention is credited to Caspers, Carl A., McKenzie, Maitland Craig.
Application Number | 20040163278 10/699719 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32312576 |
Filed Date | 2004-08-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040163278 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Caspers, Carl A. ; et
al. |
August 26, 2004 |
Vacuum-suspended shoe
Abstract
Footwear having a vacuum pump for removing fluid from its
interior. The footwear can have a rigid outer shell, a flexible
material bonded to the rigid outer shell, a thin sheath within the
flexible material, a heelstrike-actuated vacuum pump in the heel,
and a vacuum hose connecting the vacuum pump to the interior. The
pump can be configured to reduce or increase pressure within the
footwear to provide different results.
Inventors: |
Caspers, Carl A.; (Avon,
MN) ; McKenzie, Maitland Craig; (Orlando,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FAEGRE & BENSON LLP
2200 WELLS FARGO CENTER
90 SOUTH 7TH STREET
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Family ID: |
32312576 |
Appl. No.: |
10/699719 |
Filed: |
November 3, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60422963 |
Nov 1, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/3R ;
36/3B |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 17/035 20130101;
A43B 5/0405 20130101; A43B 7/082 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/003.00R ;
036/003.00B |
International
Class: |
A43B 007/06 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. An apparatus for use on a foot, comprising: (a) a support
portion; (b) a first material within the support portion and
enclosing a space in which a foot may be placed; (c) a pump
embedded in the heel; and (d) a conduit connecting the pump to the
space.
2. The article of claim 1, wherein support portion comprises a shoe
shell for surrounding the foot, wherein the first material is
flexible and bonded to the shoe shell, and wherein the space is
substantially airtight when a foot is inserted therein.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has an exterior
appearance of one of a shoe and boot, and wherein the pump
comprises a vacuum pump such that actuation of the pump removes
fluid adjacent the foot.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising (e) a layer of
second material in the space adjacent the first material, wherein
the second material is significantly more breathable than the first
material.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a one-way valve in
fluid communication with the pump and the conduit such that fluid
will flow substantially only in one direction through the
conduit.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pump and valve are
configured such that fluid flows from adjacent the foot and is
released outside the apparatus.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the pump and valve are
configured such that fluid flows into the apparatus.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pump is actuated by
heelstrike during a user's stride.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support portion comprises
an outer shell, and wherein the apparatus further comprises an
opening in the outer shell and a fastener for closing the
opening.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support portion is
substantially rigid.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein fluid removed from adjacent
the foot by the pump creates a force that holds the apparatus to
the foot.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has an external
appearance of one of a shoe and a boot.
13. A method for removing fluid from within footwear, the footwear
having a heel and an interior, comprising the steps of: (a)
providing a first material within the interior of the footwear that
forms a space into which a foot can be placed; (b) drawing a vacuum
against the space after a user's foot is inserted into the
footwear.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: (c) providing a
second material adjacent the first material, wherein the second
material is significantly more breathable than the first material,
and wherein the first and second materials are flexible.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) comprises bonding the
first material to the interior of the footwear and wherein the
first material forms a seal with the user's foot, and wherein step
(b) is performed by a heelstrike-actuated vacuum pump within the
heel.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: (c) providing a
one-way valve in fluid communication with the pump and the conduit
such that fluid will substantially flow only in one direction
through the conduit.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the vacuum is sufficient to
assist in holding the footwear to the user's foot.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of: (c)
discontinuing the drawing of the vacuum and increasing pressure
within the space.
19. A method for changing the fluid pressure from within footwear,
the footwear having a heel and an interior, comprising the steps
of: (a) providing a first material within the interior of the
footwear; (b) providing a fluid conduit that enables fluid to flow
at least one of in and out of the interior; (c) controlling fluid
flow in or out of the interior through the fluid conduit after a
user's foot is inserted into the footwear to change the fluid
pressure within the interior.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first material provides a
seal between the interior and a user's foot, wherein step (c)
comprises forcing fluid out of the interior and substantially
preventing fluid flow into the interior.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Serial No. 60/422,963, filed on Nov. 1, 2002 and
entitled VACUUM-SUSPENDED SHOE, which is herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for suspending
footwear, such as a shoe, from the human body by means of
vacuum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an
apparatus for use on a foot that includes a support portion, a
first material within the support portion and enclosing a space in
which a foot may be placed, a pump embedded in the heel, and a
conduit connecting the pump to the space.
[0004] Another embodiment relates to a method for removing fluid
from within footwear. The steps of this embodiment can include
providing a first material within the interior of the footwear that
forms a space into which a foot can be placed and drawing a vacuum
against the space after a user's foot is inserted into the
footwear.
[0005] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a
method for changing the fluid pressure from within footwear. One
step could be to provide a first material within the interior of
the footwear. Another step could be to provide a fluid conduit that
enables fluid to flow at least one of in and out of the interior.
Still another step could be to control fluid flow in or out of the
interior through the fluid conduit after a user's foot is inserted
into the footwear to change the fluid pressure within the
interior.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-section of one embodiment of the
invention in place on the foot.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0007] In one embodiment the apparatus 10 comprises a support
portion such as an outer portions such as a shoe shell 12, with a
flexible material 14 therein, wherein the material 14 is preferably
urethane. The flexible material 14 can be bonded to the shoe shell
12. The flexible material 14 can cover the entire foot and provide
a air seal at, for example, the patient's ankle A.
[0008] The patient can don a sock 16 or another lining material.
Preferably, the sock 16 should not extend above the flexible
material 14. The sock 16 can act as an air wick between foot F and
the flexible material 14. The sock can absorb, hold, or wick away
perspiration.
[0009] The apparatus 10 can further include a vacuum pump 18 or
other means for reducing pressure. In the preferred embodiment, the
vacuum pump 18 is in the heel 20 of the shoe shell 12. A conduit,
such as a hose or tube 22, connects the vacuum pump 18 to the
inside of the flexible material 14, between the flexible material
14 and the foot F. As the patient walks, the heel-resident vacuum
pump 18 is compressed during stance phase and fluid (e.g., air,
water vapor, etc.) can be expelled to atmosphere. During the swing
phase of walking the heel-resident vacuum pump 18 returns to its
normal shape, pulling fluid from between the flexible material 14
and the foot F (and through the sock 16, if one is used), thus
creating a vacuum, i.e., lowered pressure, to hold the foot to the
inside of the flexible material 14.
[0010] The apparatus 10 can further include a one-way valve 24
between the vacuum pump 18 and the hose 22, and a second one-way
valve 26 between the vacuum pump 18 and atmosphere. Any suitable
one-way valve may be used for the valves 24, 26, such as a duckbill
valve or a ball valve with a seat and spring. The valves 24, 26
control the flow of air and substantially stops air from being
pumped into the space between the flexible material 14 and the foot
F.
[0011] Preferably, the shoe shell 12 is composed of a substantially
rigid material that stops the shoe shell from collapsing on the
foot as vacuum is drawn.
[0012] The apparatus may have a mid-dorsal opening 30 with a
closure means such as Velcro or shoelaces to allow the patient to
don the shoe.
[0013] When used to create a lower pressure environment (than
ambient) for a foot, the apparatus has application in the removal
of moisture (liquid or gas) from the foot or between the foot and
shoe. It can also be useful for providing a close fit of a shoe,
boot, or the like on the foot, as in downhill ski boots, which
could involve the use of conformable shoes, boots, and the like.
Still further, the apparatus could also be used to increase or
maintain blood flow to the foot, if such flow is desired.
[0014] Or, the apparatus could be reconfigured to increase the
pressure upon the foot, i.e., to provide a higher pressure
environment (than ambient) for a foot. This could be a way of
maintaining or reducing fluid volume in the foot. E.g., forcing air
between the material 14 and the foot could prevent pooling of fluid
in the foot or even drive fluid out of the foot. Preferably, the
material 14 would be substantially incompressible or inelastic such
that the increased pressure between the material 14 and the foot
would result in at least a certain amount of pressure being applied
to the foot rather than resulting entirely in the compression or
stretching of the material 14. Or, the higher pressure environment
could be create outside the material 14, for example, between it
and another layer of material 14.
[0015] The apparatus could be operated such that pressure is
changed, for example, periodically. That is, it could be changed
back and forth between higher pressure and neutral (or ambient)
pressure, higher pressure and lower pressure, neutral pressure and
lower pressure, or some combination of higher, lower, and neutral
pressures.
[0016] Further, though the apparatus is shown in terms of a shoe
configuration, it could also be useful configured as a boot that
goes to or above the user's ankle. This boot could include material
14 such that the pressure chamber created therein either ends where
shown in FIG. 1 or extends further up the boot.
[0017] The present invention may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes
thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be
considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For
example, components or portions of the apparatus 10 described above
could, in themselves, be provided separately but still provide some
or all of the benefits noted above.
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