U.S. patent application number 11/003300 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-08 for shoe having a protective wrap.
This patent application is currently assigned to Eddie Chen. Invention is credited to Charlie Chen, Eddie Chen, Paul Yang.
Application Number | 20060117606 11/003300 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36572569 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060117606 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Eddie ; et
al. |
June 8, 2006 |
Shoe having a protective wrap
Abstract
A shoe includes a protective wrap disposed inside an upper and
includes a sole portion disposed removably on a sole unit, and two
side portions extending upwardly and respectively from two sides of
the sole portion and connected to a fastening unit. When the
fastening unit is tightened, the fastening unit pulls the side
portions, and the side portions lift the sole portion so that the
protective wrap is wrapped tightly around the foot of the
wearer.
Inventors: |
Chen; Eddie; (Taichung City,
TW) ; Chen; Charlie; (Taichung City, TW) ;
Yang; Paul; (Taichung City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CHRISTENSEN, O'CONNOR, JOHNSON, KINDNESS, PLLC
1420 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 2800
SEATTLE
WA
98101-2347
US
|
Assignee: |
Eddie Chen
|
Family ID: |
36572569 |
Appl. No.: |
11/003300 |
Filed: |
December 3, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/50.1 ;
36/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 1/04 20130101; A43B
19/00 20130101; A43B 23/07 20130101; A43C 11/00 20130101; A43B
7/223 20130101; A43B 7/1495 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/050.1 ;
036/091 |
International
Class: |
A43C 11/00 20060101
A43C011/00; A43B 7/22 20060101 A43B007/22 |
Claims
1. A shoe comprising: an upper including a bottom end; a sole unit
fixed to said bottom end of said upper; a protective wrap disposed
inside said upper and including a sole portion disposed on said
sole unit, and a side portion extending upwardly from a lateral
side of said sole portion, said sole portion being at least
partially and laterally removable from said sole unit; and a
fastening unit connected to said side portion, wherein, when said
fastening unit is tightened, said fastening unit pulls said side
portion and said side portion lifts at least a lateral part of said
sole portion so that said protective wrap is wrapped tightly around
the foot of a wearer.
2. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole portion is
removable entirely from said sole unit.
3. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper further
includes a tongue opening and a tongue disposed within said tongue
opening, said fastening unit being operable to tie said tongue
opening and said tongue.
4. The shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein said protective wrap
further includes at least one first strap which connects one of
said side portions to said fastening unit.
5. The shoe as claimed in claim 4, wherein said first strap extends
out of said upper and forms a loop member at the outside of said
upper.
6. The shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fastening unit
includes a shoe lace which extends through said loop member.
7. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sole pad
disposed removably on said sole portion.
8. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side portions
include a material different from that of said sole portion.
9. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole portion has a
plurality of ventilation holes.
10. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole portion is
comprised of at least a middle portion which corresponds in
position to a plantar arch of a wearer's foot.
11. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole unit includes
an outsole and an insole.
12. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective wrap
further includes a fixing member which connects said protective
wrap to said sole unit and which still allows either side of said
sole portion of said protective wrap to be lifted up when said
fastening unit is tightened.
13. The shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein said protective wrap
further includes a plurality of first straps which interconnect
said side portions to said fastening unit, said first straps
extending out of said upper.
14. The shoe as claimed in claim 13, wherein each of said first
straps is a one-piece long strap which is attached to said sole
portion and both of said side portions and projects from both of
said side portions.
15. The shoe as claimed in claim 14, wherein said protective wrap
further includes a plurality of passages each extending from one of
said side portions to the other one of said side portions passing
through said sole portion, said long strap extending slidably
through a corresponding one of said passages.
16. The shoe as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said side
portions includes a plurality of second straps attached to said
sole portion and projecting outward from two sides of said sole
portion, said second straps of at least one of said side portions
extending out of said upper and being connected to said fastening
unit.
17. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a first
strap connected to one of said side portions, said first strap
extending out of said upper and forming a loop member at the
outside of the upper, said fastening unit being connected to said
loop member.
18. The shoe as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fastening unit
includes a fastening strip which is provided with hook-and-loop
fasteners, said fastening strip passing through said loop
member.
19. The shoe as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sole portion is a
shoe insert.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a shoe, more particularly to a
shoe having a protective wrap disposed inside a shoe to support and
protect the wearer's foot.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Various foot supports have been suggested in the art for
incorporation with shoes so as to protect particular parts of the
wearer's foot, such as the heel, instep, metatarsal arch, etc.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a protective wrap which includes
two wrap portions 12 connected to an insole 16 which is in turn
fixed to the bottom end of an upper. Straps 14 which are attached
to the wrap portions 12 extend out of the upper through holes 20
formed in the upper and are connected to a shoe lace 13 which
extends across a tongue 15. When the shoe lace 13 is tightened
above the wearer's foot which is inserted into the upper, the
straps 14 are pulled so that the foot is wrapped by the wrap
portions 12 and is limited from undesirable movement during the
activity of the wearer.
[0005] FIG. 3 shows another example of the protective wrap which
includes two wrap portions 22 connected to an insole 26 and a
tongue 25. Straps 24 are sewn to the tongue 25 and then
respectively pass through the holes 28 formed in the upper of the
shoe for connection with a shoe lace 23.
[0006] In both of the above-mentioned shoes, the wrap portions 12,
22 wrap around the foot to restrict movement of the foot when the
shoe lace 13, 23 is tightened. However, as the insole 16 or 26 to
which the wrap portions 12 or 22 are attached is connected fixedly
to the bottom end of the upper by a lasting process, the insole 16
or 26 cannot be moved upward when the straps 14 or 24 are pulled.
Therefore, when the shoe lace 13 or 23 is tightened, the wrap
portions 12 or 22 cannot provide sufficient tightness for the foot
of every user because of the varying depth of the metatarsal arches
of the feet and the varying width of the feet of different users.
If the foot of the user has a deep metatarsal arch, a clearance 17
will exist between the metatarsal arch and the insole 16, as shown
in FIG. 1, thereby reducing the supporting effect at the sole of
the foot. In case the foot of the user is thin, there will be a
clearance 18 (see FIG. 2) between the wrap portions 12 and the foot
so that the protective wrap cannot protect and restrain effectively
the movement of the ankle 19 (see FIG. 1). Unrestrained movement of
the ankle of the user's foot during strenuous activity can cause
injury to the ankle of the foot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a shoe
with a protective wrap which can restrain effectively undesirable
movement of the user's foot and which can accommodate different
sizes of the users' feet.
[0008] According to the present invention, a shoe comprises: an
upper including a bottom end; a sole unit fixed to the bottom end
of the upper; a protective wrap disposed inside the upper and
including a sole portion disposed on the sole unit, and a side
portion extending upwardly from a lateral side of the sole portion,
the sole portion being at least partially and laterally removable
from the sole unit; and a fastening unit connected to the side
portion, wherein, when the fastening unit is tightened, the
fastening unit pulls the side portion, and the side portion lifts
at least a lateral part of the sole portion so that the protective
wrap is wrapped tightly around the foot of the wearer.
[0009] The sole unit may be an outsole, or a sole assembly which
includes an outsole in combination with an insole and/or a
midsole.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent in the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional shoe;
[0012] FIG. 2 is another sectional view of the shoe of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another conventional shoe;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment
of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0017] FIG. 7 is the same view as FIG. 6 but with a protective wrap
being tightened;
[0018] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a protective wrap used in a second
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 9 is a plan view of a protective wrap used in a third
preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the third preferred
embodiment;
[0021] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the fourth preferred
embodiment;
[0022] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a protective wrap used in the
fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the fifth preferred
embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 14 is a plan view of the sixth preferred embodiment of
the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the seventh preferred
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0026] FIG. 16 is a plan view of a protective wrap used in the
seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] Before the present invention is described in greater detail,
it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to
denote like elements throughout the specification.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, a first preferred embodiment
of the shoe according to the present invention is shown to include
an outsole 41 attached to a bottom end 421 of an upper 42. The
upper 42 has a tongue 45 disposed within a tongue opening 451
formed in an instep part of the upper 42. An insole 441 is fixed to
the bottom end 421 of the upper 42 above the outsole 41.
[0029] A protective wrap 46 is disposed inside the upper 42 and
includes a sole portion 460 removably superimposed on the insole
441, and two side portions 461 extending upward from the sole
portion 460 and integral with the sole portion 460. A sole pad 442
(the so-called sockliner or insert) is disposed removably on the
sole portion 460 so that the sole portion 460 is located between
the sole pad 442 and the insole 441. The protective wrap 46 is
flexible and may be made of a material such as a fabric, leather,
or any other suitable flexible sheeting material. The sole portion
460 and the side portions 461 are made from the same material and
are formed as one piece. Alternatively, the sole portion 460 and
the side portions 461 may be made from different materials as
desired.
[0030] Each side portion 461 connects with a plurality of first
straps 462. While the first straps 462 are sewn to each side
portion 461 in this embodiment, the connection between the first
straps 462 and the side portion 461 is not limited thereto. Any
other suitable means may be used for connecting the side portions
461 and the first straps 462. Each first strap 462 extends out of
the upper 42 from the corresponding side portion 461 through the
tongue opening 451 and is then folded back to extend over the outer
surface of the upper 42. The folded part of the first strap 462 is
then fixed directly to the outer surface of the upper 42 by sewing
to form a loop member 463. Each first strap 462 thus form the loop
member 463 at the outside of the upper 42 to connect with a
fastening unit that is operable to tie the tongue 45 and the tongue
opening 451. The fastening unit in this embodiment includes a shoe
lace 47 attached to the upper 42 proximate to the tongue 45. The
shoe lace 47 passes through the loop member 463 of each first strap
462.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 7, when the user's foot (F) is inserted
into the shoe, the foot is surrounded by the sole portion 460 and
the side portions 461. When the shoe lace 47 is tightened, the
first straps 462 are subjected to a pulling force and the side
portions 461 of the protective wrap 46 are pulled upward. As a
result, the sole portion 460 is lifted so that it abuts with the
bottom of the foot. In addition, the side portions 461 are moved
toward each other so that the foot is wrapped tightly by the
protective wrap 46. Due to the sole portion 460 which is disposed
removably on the insole 441, the user's foot can be wrapped tightly
by the protective wrap 46 regardless of the size of the foot.
[0032] FIG. 8 shows a second preferred embodiment of the shoe
according to the present invention which is substantially similar
to the first embodiment. The second embodiment includes a
protective wrap 56 which has a sole portion 561, two side portions
562 and first straps 563. However, the sole portion 561 is provided
with ventilation openings 564, and the side portions 562 are
connected to the sole portion 561 by sewing. In addition, the sole
portion 561 includes only a middle portion which corresponds in
position to the plantar arch of the wearer's foot. For each of the
sole portion 561 and the side portions 562, a suitable material may
be selected in order to comfort the wearer's foot.
[0033] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a third preferred embodiment of
the shoe according to the present invention is substantially
similar to the first embodiment. The third embodiment includes a
protective wrap 66 which has a sole portion 661, two side portions
662 and first straps 663. However, the sole portion 661 has
ventilation holes 664, and includes a heel part 6611, a front part
6612 and a middle part 6613 interconnecting the heel and front
parts 6611, 6612. The side portions 662 extend from two sides of
the middle part 6613. The sole portion 661 of the protective wrap
66 in this embodiment not only acts as the sole portion 460 of the
protective wrap 46 of the first embodiment, but also has the
function of the sole pad 442 of the first embodiment. This means
that the sole portion 661 acts like a shoe insert. Thus, the sole
pad 442 of the first embodiment is not provided in the third
embodiment. In this embodiment, the side portions 662 are stitched
to the sole portion 661. Of course, any means other than stitching
means may also be used to fix the side portions 662 to the sole
portion 661.
[0034] Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a fourth preferred embodiment
of the shoe according to the present invention is substantially
similar to the third embodiment. Like the protective wrap 66 in the
third embodiment, the protective wrap 76 in this embodiment
includes a sole portion 761 with ventilation holes 764, and two
side portions 762. However, first straps 763 in this embodiment are
one-piece long straps each of which is attached to both of the side
portions 762 and the sole portion 761 and projects from the side
portions 762. The sole pad 442 is disposed on the sole portion
761.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 13, the fifth preferred embodiment of the
present invention is substantially similar to the fourth preferred
embodiment except that the protective wrap 76 in this embodiment
additionally includes passages 765 each of which extends from one
side portion 762 to the other side portion 762 passing through the
sole portion 761. Each passage 765 receives the corresponding first
strap 763 so that the first strap 763 is slidable within the
passage 765.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 14, the sixth preferred embodiment of the
present invention is substantially similar to the fourth preferred
embodiment. However, the sixth preferred embodiment includes an
upper 42A which has no tongue and no tongue opening and whose
bottom end is connected directly to an outsole 41A. Furthermore,
the first straps 763 in this embodiment extend outward from only
one of the side portions 762 through an opening 422. The other side
portion 762 is attached to an inner surface of the upper 42A. The
fastening unit in this embodiment includes a fastening strip 49
which has a first end 491 attached to the outer surface of the
upper 42A. The fastening strip 49 then passes through a ring 48
connected to the corresponding first strap 763 and is bent back so
that an opposite second end 492 of the fastening strip 49 is able
to extend to the first end 491. The first and second ends 491 and
492 are interengageable by means of hook-and-loop fasteners 493,
which are well-known under the tradename "VELCRO."
[0037] When the fastening strip 49 is tightened, a pulling force is
applied to the first straps 763 and the corresponding side portion
762 so that the protective wrap 76A can be wrapped tightly around
the wearer's foot inserted into the upper 42A.
[0038] Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the seventh preferred
embodiment of the present invention is substantially similar to the
fourth preferred embodiment. However, the seventh preferred
embodiment includes a protective wrap 86 which has a sole portion
861 and two side portions each of which is composed of a plurality
of second straps 862. The second straps 862 are attached to the
sole portion 861 and extend outward from two sides of the sole
portion 861. The second straps 862 extend further outward from the
upper 42 forming loops 863 at the outside of the upper 42. Each
loop 863 is connected to the shoe lace 47 through a ring member
48.
[0039] Especially in this embodiment, the sole portion 861 has a
fixing member 9 to fix the sole portion 861 to the insole 441 only
at a central part of the sole portion 861. This fixing member 9
does not effect the performance of the protective wrap 86 because
lateral parts of the sole portion 861 at left and right sides of
the fixing member 9 can still be lifted up when the shoe lace 47 is
tightened. No doubt, the wearer's foot still can be wrapped very
well through the unfixed left and right parts of the sole portion
861. While the fixing member 9 as shown is a sewing line in this
embodiment, any other suitable fixing member, such as hook-and-loop
fasteners (well known as Velcro fasteners) may be used in place of
the sewing line.
[0040] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what is considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *