U.S. patent application number 12/772262 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-11 for foldable sandal.
Invention is credited to Maria Pantazes.
Application Number | 20100281713 12/772262 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43061452 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100281713 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pantazes; Maria |
November 11, 2010 |
Foldable Sandal
Abstract
A foldable sandal includes a forefoot portion that is adapted to
be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot, a rear-foot
portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear portion of the
wearer's foot, and a folding member outsole that functions as the
folding member and the bottom layer of the sandal. The folding
member is operatively coupled to both the forefoot portion and the
rear-foot portion wherein the folding member is adapted to enable
the foldable sandal to be selectively moved between an open
configuration suitable for wearing and a folded configuration
suitable for storage. The sandal may also have a retaining member
fastened to the folding member outsole or the forefoot portion
and/or the rear-foot portion to hold the sandal on the wearer's
foot.
Inventors: |
Pantazes; Maria; (Culver
City, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Maria Pantazes
4068 Madison Ave #B
Culver City
CA
90232
US
|
Family ID: |
43061452 |
Appl. No.: |
12/772262 |
Filed: |
May 3, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61175873 |
May 6, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/102 ; 36/103;
36/11.5; 36/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 3/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/102 ; 36/103;
36/11.5; 36/43 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/24 20060101
A43B003/24; A43B 13/18 20060101 A43B013/18; A43B 3/12 20060101
A43B003/12; A43B 13/38 20060101 A43B013/38 |
Claims
1. A foldable sandal, comprising: a. a forefoot portion that is
adapted to be disposed under a front portion of a wearer's foot; b.
a rear-foot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a rear
portion of the wearer's foot; and c. a folding member outsole that
functions as the folding member that is operatively coupled to both
said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion, wherein the
folding member includes one distinct axis of rotation and wherein
the folding member is adapted to enable said foldable sandal to be
selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for
wearing and a folded configuration; and d. a retaining member
fastened to said forefoot portion and said rear-foot portion and
adapted to hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.
2. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion
and said rear-foot portion each includes: an insole adapted to be
disposed proximal the wearer's foot, the insole having an insole
surface; said folding member outsole adapted to be disposed distal
the wearer's foot, said folding member outsole having a folding
member outsole surface; and wherein, when the sandal is moved into
said folded configuration, either said folding member outsole
surface or the insole surfaces of said forefoot portion and said
rear-foot portion are disposed adjacent each other.
3. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion
includes at least one forefoot cutout; wherein said rear-foot
portion includes at least one rear-foot cutout, wherein the
forefoot cutout and the rear-foot cutout are adapted to be at least
substantially contiguous when the sandal is placed in said open
configuration.
4. The foldable sandal of claim 1 wherein, said folding member
outsole of the sandal is a one piece uncompromised unit.
5. The foldable sandal of claim 1 wherein, said folding member sole
of the sandal is a one piece unit that may have uniform or varying
thicknesses of material that make it easier for the said axis of
rotation to move freely.
6. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said retaining member is
either fastened to said forefoot portion and said rear-foot
portion, said folding member sole, or both.
7. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said folding member sole
further includes a forward end and a rearward end, and wherein the
folding member sole defines an axis of rotation that is located
between the forward end and the rearward end.
8. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said retaining member is
fastened to said folding member outsole and/or said forefoot
portion and/or said rear-foot portion and adapted to hold the
sandal on the wearer's foot.
9. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said insole surface is
formed from a cushioning material.
10. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said forefoot portion
and said rear-foot portion are of varying thickness.
11. The foldable sandal of claim 1, wherein said folding member
outside is formed from a rubber material.
12. The foldable sandal of claim 1, where said retaining member is
made from cotton or other breathable material.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent
application Ser. No. 61/175,873, filed 2009, May 6 by the present
inventor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This application relates generally to footwear and more
particularly to folding sandals.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] People often use multiple types of footwear on a daily
basis. It is more common that a person has multiple pairs of shoes
adapted for particular purposes such as social activities,
exercising, work activities, and lounging than owning one pair for
all purposes. Often times the type of shoe worn is a high heel
which provides a fashionable option, but which may not be
comfortable for more than a few hours or for long distance walking.
Many people who regularly wear high heels or other shoes with
limited comfort will carry a spare set of comfortable shoes, often
being sandals, in their personal carrying bags for convenience.
[0006] In addition, many people have a spare set of shoes for use
after exercising or sporting activities. By changing into a sandal
after exercising, the foot is allowed to breathe after sweating.
Additionally, people engaging in sporting activities away from home
prefer to shower before returning to work or other activities. Most
people using common locker rooms and showers in gym facilities
prefer to wear sandals in the locker room and shower rather than
walking bare-footed. Sandals, in addition to their comfort and
convenience, may be preferred in such circumstances because they
promote hygiene by providing a barrier between the wearer and the
floor. Typically, the necessary items for a person to leave work to
exercise and return to work (such as exercise clothing, shoes,
towels, personal hygiene products, and the like) fill or overfill
the space in a bag.
[0007] Many people prefer to wear high heels or other fashionable
shoes to dances, weddings, balls, or celebrations/events, which
often include dancing. In many cases high heels are removed and
dancing continues in bare feet due to the discomfort caused by many
fashionable shoes. Most people prefer the cleanliness and comfort
provided by sandals rather than walking or dancing in bare feet.
Traditional sandals are too large to fit into many bags carried by
people to these types of events. As a result, a more portable
option is necessary.
[0008] In addition, various places of business require the use of
open toed footwear. Many spas sell sandals to clients in closed toe
footwear as normal footwear cannot be worn following a pedicure.
This results in the purchase of sandals following each visit.
Foldable sandals allow people to more easily bring their own
footwear for use after a pedicure and avoid buying new sandals
following each spa visit.
[0009] Many people prefer the comfort and convenience of a sandal
for everyday wear or for wear around the house. Recently, designer
sandals have experienced great popularity and are accepted in some
circumstances as formal wear. Accordingly, sandals are often packed
in bags or suitcases for overnight trips, business travel, or
vacation travel. As with gym bags or lockers, space is often very
limited when packing bags or suitcases for traveling.
[0010] In a typical sandal, the longitudinal direction (from toe to
heel) is often several times greater than the lateral direction
from the medial edge to the lateral edge. This configuration often
leads to difficulty when trying to pack the sandals, particularly
when trying to pack sandals into small gym bags, purses, laptop
bags, and carryon suitcases. The length of the sandals generally
makes it difficult or impossible to close the pocket or bag without
exposing at least a portion of the sandals to the remaining items
in the bag.
[0011] There is a continuing need for solutions to the overcrowding
of bags, suitcases, and lockers. Specifically, the
length/width/thickness ratio of conventional sandals makes
conventional sandals difficult to pack in some circumstances.
Additionally, the underside of sandals may be considered to be
unsanitary or to pose increased risk of contact with dirt or
bacteria from the ground, especially after being worn in public
bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers. There is a continuing need
for a method of packing or storing sandals that limits the exposure
of the sole surface to other items being stored or packed. A single
axis of rotation near the middle of each sandal allows for simple
manufacturing and folding. The present disclosure addresses these
continuing needs.
SUMMARY
[0012] Some embodiments include a foldable sandal including a
forefoot portion that is adapted to be disposed under a front
portion of a wearer's foot, a rear-foot portion that is adapted to
be disposed under a rear portion of the wearer's foot, and a
folding member outsole that functions as the folding member and the
bottom layer of the sandal. The folding member is operatively
coupled to both the forefoot portion and the rear-foot portion
wherein the folding member is adapted to enable the foldable sandal
to be selectively moved between an open configuration suitable for
wearing and a folded configuration suitable for storage. The sandal
may also have a retaining member fastened to the folding member
outsole or the forefoot portion and/or the rear-foot portion to
hold the sandal on the wearer's foot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a top view of a foldable sandal shown in an open
configuration according to the present description.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating
an example of the foldable sandal in an open configuration.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the sandal of FIG. 1 illustrating
an example of the foldable sandal in an open configuration.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 shown in
transition between an open configuration and a folded
configuration.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in a folded
configuration.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a top view of the sandal of FIG. 1 with the rear
foot portion shown in a folded configuration.
[0019] FIG. 7 is a side view of the sandal of FIG. 1 in an open
configuration while being worn.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] A foldable sandal 9 is illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as
including a folding member outsole 15 and a retaining member 12.
While the present description refers to a foldable sandal, the term
"sandal" should be understood herein to refer to any article of
footwear having an upper adapted to allow the folding member
outsole to fold according the present description. For example, the
term "sandal" may refer to a traditional thong-style sandal or to a
wrap-style sandal. Additionally, the term "sandal" may refer to the
more contemporary variations of a sandal such as those with heel
retaining members and toe retaining members, some of which also
couple the heel retaining members and the toe retaining members
together to form a sort of aerated or ventilated shoe. Accordingly,
retaining member 12 illustrated in FIG. 1 is merely exemplary of
the one or more retaining members that may operate to hold the
sandal on the wearer's foot during use. Retaining member 12 may
include multiple retaining members, may include straps or cords, or
the like, may include panels of material between straps or cords,
and may, in some embodiments, be akin to traditional shoe uppers
when adapted to allow folding member outsole 15 to fold as
described herein.
[0021] With reference to FIG. 1, insole 20 includes a forefoot
portion 10 and a rear-foot portion 13. Forefoot portion 10 may be
adapted to be disposed under the front portion of a wearer's foot
during use. Forefoot portion 10 may extend rearward to a forward
end region 11. Rear-foot portion 13 may be adapted to be disposed
under a rear portion of the wearer's foot during use. Similar to
the forefoot portion, rear-foot portion 13 may extend forwardly to
a rearward end region 16. Forward end region 11 and rearward end
region 16 may be disposed adjacent to each other or may be spaced
from each other fully by folding member outsole 15.
[0022] Foldable member outsole 15, in addition to acting as the
folding member, acts as the outsole, having a folding member
outsole surface 18, that may be comprised of conventional materials
used in the construction of footwear. For example, folding member
outsole 15, and specifically folding member outsole surface 18, may
include wear-resistant materials adapted to endure conditions of
use over a variety of terrains. In addition, folding member outsole
surface 18, may be provided with ridges or other features which
will increase grip and prevent slipping on smooth or wet surfaces.
Insole 20, and specifically insole surface 19, may include
materials adapted to provide a comfortable feel to the bottom of a
wearer's foot. Additionally, insole 20, may include treated
materials to resist bacteria, fungi, and the like. Foldable sandal
9, may include a sole made from traditional footwear materials or
from the most contemporary footwear materials used in
high-performance wear, including waterproof materials.
[0023] With reference to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 and with continuing
reference to FIG. 1, the transition of the foldable sandal between
an open configuration and a folded configuration is illustrated.
FIGS. 4 and 5 continue with the illustration of the folding member
outsole 15 acting as both the foldable member and the outsole.
Foldable sandal 9 is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 7 in an open
configuration suitable for wearing. In the open configuration,
forefoot portion 10 and rear-foot portion 13 may provide a
substantially flat insole surface 19 for supporting the wearer's
foot. As discussed above, insole 20 may include features or
structures deviating from a flat surface, such as ridges, contours,
or nubs.
[0024] As can be seen with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the
transition from the open configuration to the folded configuration
is accomplished by rotating forefoot portion 10 and/or rear-foot
portion 13 about the axis of rotation 21. The rotation of forefoot
portion 10 and rear-foot portion 13 about the axis of rotation 21,
may occur in any order or simultaneously. As shown in FIGS. 4 and
5, the axis of rotation 21, may be adapted to allow each sole
portion to rotate substantially 90 degrees from the starting
position in the open configuration to the folded configuration.
While greater or lesser rotation may be possible, rotating each of
the sole portions substantially 90 degrees allows the sandal to be
folded compactly, reducing the longitudinal dimension of the sandal
for easier packing and storing. As discussed above, in some
embodiments, line of articulation 21 may be disposed substantially
midway between a forward end 22 and a rearward end 23 of folding
member outsole 15. In such a configuration, folding sandal 9
reduces the longitudinal dimension by about half.
[0025] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate that foldable sandal 9 may be
configured to fold downwardly. Folding downwardly should be
understood to refer to rotating the forefoot portion 10, and the
rear foot portion 13, about the axis of rotation 21, so that
outsole surface 18 is adjacent to itself, as shown in FIG. 5. Such
downward folding may help to keep dirt, bacteria, fungi, or other
undesirable material that may be on the outsole surfaces from
contacting other items stored together with the sandals.
[0026] When folding member outsole 15 is adapted to be folded
downwardly as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cords, straps,
uppers, or other materials comprising retaining members 12 may be
adapted to allow for such rotation. In some embodiments, such as a
wrap-style sandal where the retaining members only cover the toes
and forefoot area, retaining members 12 would require little if any
modification to allow downward folding. In other embodiments,
including thong-style sandals shown in FIGS. 1-7 and other sandals
where one or more retaining members 12 spans from forefoot portion
10 to rear-foot portion 13, retaining members 12 may include
elastic segments or selectively connectable segments to allow for a
proper fit during use and to allow the sandal to fold downwardly
for storage. For example, in an outdoor-type sandal having heel
retaining members and forefoot retaining members coupled together
to form a ventilated upper, connectors or couplers may be provided
to the heel retaining members and the forefoot retaining members so
that they may be coupled together during use and uncoupled when the
sandal is folded for storage. Suitable connectors or couplers
include those devices that are traditionally used on footwear, such
as buckles, snaps, hook-and-loop fasteners, and other selective
coupling systems. In some embodiments, such modifications to
retaining members 12 may be unnecessary. For example, retaining
members 12 will have some slack between the insole and the
retaining members to accommodate for the foot of the user.
Depending on the configuration of sandal 9, the retaining members
may already be long enough to allow for the downward folding
illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6.
[0027] Although this invention has been disclosed with reference to
the specific forms and embodiments, it will be evident that a great
number of variations may be made without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention. For example, parts may be reversed,
equivalent elements may be substituted for those specifically
disclosed, and certain features of the invention may be used
independently of other features all without departing from the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *