U.S. patent application number 12/144049 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-24 for versatile sandal having adjustable straps.
Invention is credited to Sean Clarke.
Application Number | 20090313854 12/144049 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41429784 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090313854 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Clarke; Sean |
December 24, 2009 |
VERSATILE SANDAL HAVING ADJUSTABLE STRAPS
Abstract
A sandal having easily adjustable straps that allows a user to
quickly modify the tightness of the sandal to adjust to the exact
dimensions of the user's foot in order to secure the most
comfortable grip for either casual or athletic activities. The
sandal exhibits a lightweight, robust, high strength, flexible
construction including an elongated sole for supporting a foot,
where the sole has a toe end and a heel end, a center toe strap, an
interior strap, and an exterior strap. The toe strap is anchored in
the toe and includes a distal end fixedly connected to a pivot
means, such as a buckle, for securing and redirecting the side
straps. The interior and exterior straps are fixedly secured near
the middle of the sole of the sandal and extend forwardly with a
slip fit through the front pivot means, then rearwardly back upon
themselves. The interior and exterior straps have a free end
portion on which a fastener device, such as a hook and loop strip
is mounted, which allows it to be adjustably fashioned back upon
itself. The adjustment of both the interior and exterior end straps
allows the user to adjust the tightness of the sandal to prevent
slippage and to secure the sandal snugly to the users foot, thereby
minimizing the typical "flip-flop" movement and sound associated
with nonadjustable sandals.
Inventors: |
Clarke; Sean; (Auburn,
AL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Clifton Tunnell
Anderson Dailey, 2002 Summit Blvd, Suite 1250
Atlanta
GA
30319
US
|
Family ID: |
41429784 |
Appl. No.: |
12/144049 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/97 ; 36/11.5;
36/12; 36/50.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 3/105 20130101;
A43B 3/26 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/97 ; 36/11.5;
36/12; 36/50.1 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/26 20060101
A43B003/26; A43B 3/12 20060101 A43B003/12; A43B 13/28 20060101
A43B013/28; A43C 11/00 20060101 A43C011/00 |
Claims
1. A sandal having adjustable straps for securing said sandal to
the foot of a wearer thereof comprising: an insole; an outsole;
said insole and said outsole are joined together to form a unitary
elongated sole for supporting a foot, said sole having a toe end
and a heel end, and an interior and exterior side; a center toe
strap, said toe strap is anchored in the toe end of said sandal,
said center toe strap having a distal end which terminates in an
attached pivot means; an interior strap, said interior strap is
secured to the interior area of said sole, said interior strap
passes forwardly through said pivot means, and then said interior
strap is folded rearwardly over on itself to bring first and second
portions thereof into opposing relationship; a first adjustable
fastener device, said first adjustable fastener device joins the
opposing portions of said interior strap together to adjust the
length of said interior strap; an exterior strap, said exterior
strap is secured to the exterior area of the sole, said exterior
strap passes forwardly through said pivot means, and then said
exterior strap is folded rearwardly over on itself to bring first
and second portions thereof into opposing relationship; a second
adjustable fastener device, said second adjustable fastener device
joins the opposing portions of said exterior strap together to
adjust the length of said exterior strap; whereby adjustment of the
length of the interior and exterior straps allows the user to vary
the fit of the sandal to a particular foot on said elongated
sole.
2. The sandal of claim 1 wherein said pivot means is formed with a
ring.
3. The sandal of claim 1 wherein said pivot means includes a
plurality of slots for enabling the side straps to fold back upon
themselves;
4. The sandal of claim 1 wherein said first and second adjustable
fastener devices are formed with hook and loop patches on said
straps
5. The sandal of claim 1 wherein said first and second adjustable
fastener devices are formed with a buckle on said straps
6. A sandal having adjustable straps for securing said sandal to
the foot of a wearer thereof comprising: an elongated sole for
supporting a foot, said sole having a toe end and a heel end, and
an interior and exterior side; a ring, said ring contains a
plurality of slots; a center toe strap, said toe strap is anchored
in the toe end of said sandal, said center toe strap having a
distal end which terminates in said ring; an interior strap, said
interior strap is secured to the interior area of said sole, said
interior strap passes forwardly through the slots of said ring, and
then said interior strap is folded rearwardly over on itself to
bring first and second portions thereof into opposing relationship;
a first pair of hook and loop fasteners, said first pair of hook
and loop fasteners join the opposing portions of said interior
strap together to adjust the length of said interior strap; an
exterior strap, said exterior strap is secured to the exterior area
of the sole, said exterior strap passes forwardly through the slots
of said ring, and then said exterior strap is folded rearwardly
over on itself to bring first and second portions thereof into
opposing relationship; a second pair of hook and loop fasteners
which joins the opposing portions of said exterior strap together
to adjust the length of said exterior strap; whereby adjustment of
the length of the interior and exterior straps allows the user to
vary the fit of the sandal to a particular foot on said elongated
sole.
7. The sole sandal of claim 6 wherein said elongated sole is
composed of an insole and an outsole, whereby said insole and said
outsole are joined together to form a unitary elongated sole for
supporting a foot, said unitary sole having a toe end and a heel
end, and an interior and exterior side;
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] This invention relates to sandals, specifically to a sandal
that is easily adjustable to support a custom range fits to the
unique size and shape of a user's foot.
[0003] 2. Discussion of Prior Art
[0004] Many other sandal strap arrangements have been marketed
and/or proposed over the centuries, but most have been designed to
support alternatively, either a casual fit or a sport fit.
[0005] The casual fit sandal has been referred to by a number of
names throughout the United States. Often this type of sandal is
referred to as either a thong-type sandal or as a flip-flop. In its
conventional form, the causal fit sandal is characterized by a
sole, often made of a synthetic material, having an elongated shape
to define a toe portion and a heal portion. Attached to the top
portion is a wishbone shaped strap that extends into two side
straps that are attached to the interior and exterior sides of the
sole. The thong fits between the big toe and its adjacent toe, and
the straps fit over the top and sides of the foot to hold the
sandal to the user's foot.
[0006] Examples of casual use sandals are those disclosed in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 6,883,252, 6,883,252, 4,069,601, and 2,947,095. All of
the sandals have a generally Y or wishbone shape, with the ends
(the legs of the Y) being inserted through respective apertures in
the insole. However, none of these sandals allow the wearer to
adjust the fit of the sandal to the unique size and shape of the
wear's foot. As such, these sandals are likely to be either too
loose or too tight on the unique foot of the user, and as such, the
"one size fits all" approach reduces the comfort of the sandal.
[0007] Furthermore, because these types of sandals do not properly
fit the wearer's foot, there is an increased chance that the sandal
will slip or roll during physical activity. This can lead to
tripping, as well as injuries to the foot or ankle.
[0008] Another problem caused by an improperly fitting sandal is
that as the wearer walks, the sandal does not maintain contact with
the wearer's foot, causing the sandals to slap against the users
foot, thereby creating the "flip-flop" sound from which its
namesake is derived.
[0009] Examples of sport fit sandals are those disclosed in U.S.
Pat. Nos. Re. 35,452, 5,205,054, 4,793,075, and 6,237,250. Each of
the sports sandals allows the user to adjust the straps on the
sandal to ensure a secure fit for more active activities. However,
each of the designs also require additional heel and/or ankle
straps to accomplish the goal of a secure fitting sandal.
[0010] Although these additional straps further secure the sandals
placement on the foot of the wearer, they also significantly
increase the amount of effort that the wearer must expend to both
put on and take off the sandal. Each time the wearer wishes to put
on the sandal, the wearer must go through a time consuming process
to first loosen the straps to allow the foot into the strap harness
and then the user must readjust all the straps to tighten the fit.
To remove the sandal, the user must first loosen a number of straps
to allow the foot to gain freedom.
[0011] These additional heel and/or ankle straps also cause
discomfort from irritation and redness, to painful blisters where
they touch the wearers skin, especially on the heel and ankle
contact points.
[0012] 3. Objects and Advantages
[0013] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention
are a sandal that maximizes the user's convenience, comfort, and
safety.
[0014] An object of the invention is to provide a sandal with a
system of adjustment that allows the wearer to customize the fit of
the sandal to the exact dimensions of their foot.
[0015] Another object of this invention is to provide a sandal that
once properly fitted to the user's foot will keep this fit
correctly positioned when the user puts on or removes the
sandal.
[0016] Another object of this invention is to provide a sandal,
that has the tightness and security of a sport sandal, but that
also allows the user to conveniently put on or remove the sandal,
without the burden that is imposed by sandal designs that require
the wearer to adjust and manipulate heel and/or ankle straps.
[0017] It is an additional object of this invention to allow the
user to quickly and easily, with only two quick movements, adjust
the sandal to create a custom fit that ensures the most comfortable
fitting to the unique size and shape of a user's foot. Furthermore,
the secure fitting also prevents the user from having to grip the
sandal with their toes in order to keep the sole in the correct
position when walking. The constant necessity of the wearer to grip
a loose fitting sandal can exhaust the foot causing discomfort when
the user wears the shoe for an extended period.
[0018] Additionally, by fitting the sandal securely to the user's
foot, the sandal minimizes the "flip-flop" sound that is caused as
poorly fitting sandals slap against the user's foot as they
walk.
[0019] Another object of this invention is to provide a sandal,
that a user may adjust to fine-tune the fit of the sandal, such
that it can be loosened when less strenuous activity is required,
or tightened when vigorous activity is required. The ability to
securely tighten the sandal to the user's foot increases the safety
and mobility of the wearer when he or she is engaged in more
athletic activity.
[0020] Further objects and advantages of my invention will become
apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing
description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] A sandal in accordance with the present invention comprising
an elongated sole with a toe end and a heel end. A center toe strap
is anchored in the toe end, which terminates in an attached pivot
means. The sandal has side straps attached to the interior and
exterior area of the sole. These straps pass forwardly through the
pivot means, and then are folded rearwardly over on themselves. The
user can then pull on the folded over ends of the strap to tighten
the fit of the shoe to the unique size and shape of his foot. Once
adjusted to a proper length, the straps are then held in place by a
fastening device such as a hook and loop fastener or a buckle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a sandal having an
adjustable strap system, showing a sole, the interior and exterior
straps, a center toe strap, and a means for adjusting the
straps.
[0023] FIG. 2 is side elavational view of a sandal having an
adjustable strap system, showing a sole, the interior and exterior
straps, a center toe strap, and a means for adjusting the straps.
The sandal is depicted as it would appear when it is secured to the
wearer's foot.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0024] The novel sandal of this invention can be better understood
by reference to FIG. 1. It includes a sole 1 which is configured to
the profile of a human foot. The sole can consist of a multitude of
layers, including an insole 2, an outsole 3, and any number of mid
soles [not shown here]. These soles are cemented together after the
straps and anchor members are secured to the undersurface of the
insole 4. The sole 1 is typical of those found in sandals with the
base having various tread patterns [not shown] suitable for the
application for which the sandal is designed. Regardless of the
soles design, all of the novel sandals of this invention have an
adjustable strap system 5 to comfortably retain it in on a wearer's
foot. This system is typically made of soft, nonstretchable nylon
webbing and is specially constructed so that articulation of the
foot will not allow the system to loosen during rigorous sport
activities.
[0025] More particularly, the novel adjustable strap system 5 is
composed of two units, which are the toe unit 6, and the strap unit
7, which is composed of the interior strap 8 and the exterior strap
9. The interior and exterior straps are fixedly secured near the
middle of the sole of the sandal and extend forwardly towards the
toe strap unit. Furthermore, the interior and exterior strap can
consist of single strap that is threaded through an opening 4.
[0026] The toe unit 6 includes a toe strap 10 which is connected
adjacent to the inside edge of the sole near the toe end 11 of the
sandal. It emerges from the sole in a position so the toe strap
will fit between the 1.sup.st metatarsal and its connected plalange
[big toe bone] and the second metatarsal. The distal end of the toe
strap extends about an inch above the top of the sole and
terminates in an attached pivot means 12.
[0027] The attached pivot means 12 could be any type of shape that
will allow the interior and exterior straps to be threaded through
the shape, and then rearwardly pivoted towards the heel portion of
the sole 13 when the straps are cinched on the wearer's foot. More
particularly, the shape of the pivot means could be circular or
triangular. The attached pivot means could also have threaded slots
14 as guides for the straps.
[0028] The toe unit and the strap unit are connected by threading
the distal end 15 of the interior strap 8 and the distal end 15 of
the exterior strap 9 through the pivot means 12 as shown in FIG. 2.
Both straps are them looped back against themselves.
[0029] An adjustable fastener device 16 then joins the opposing
portions of each strap together to adjust each straps length. The
adjustable fastening device 16 can consist of hook and loop
fasteners that are between the surfaces of the opposing portions of
the straps. The distal end of each strap 15 can have an elongated
hook patch 17 sewn to it and then there is a corresponding loop
patch sewn to the central portion of the strap 18. It can be
appreciated that by pulling on the distal end of the strap it can
be cinched angularly across the top of the wearer's foot and then
held in place when the two patches are brought in contact.
Furthermore, the fastener device can consist of a buckle on the
lower portion of each strap. [Not shown] Once the distal end of
each strap is threaded through the pivot means, and folded over, it
can then be threaded though the buckle to both adjust the length of
the strap as well as maintain its adjusted length.
[0030] As a result the wearer is assured the sandal will stay in
place, whether walking or engaged in more athletic activity.
* * * * *