U.S. patent application number 13/623852 was filed with the patent office on 2013-03-21 for shoe with interchangeable heels.
The applicant listed for this patent is Juliana Lutzi Sherwood, Robert Lee Sherwood. Invention is credited to Juliana Lutzi Sherwood, Robert Lee Sherwood.
Application Number | 20130067770 13/623852 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47879264 |
Filed Date | 2013-03-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130067770 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sherwood; Juliana Lutzi ; et
al. |
March 21, 2013 |
SHOE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE HEELS
Abstract
A shoe includes an interchangeable heel having a shoe body
configured to accept a foot of a person. A protrusion is
permanently attached to a bottom heel surface comprising two
oppositely disposed straight edges separating and contiguous with
two oppositely disposed curved edges. A channel is disposed within
the protrusion between the two oppositely disposed curved edges. A
removable heel comprises an open-ended slot configured to securely
accept the protrusion. The removable heel is rotatably attachable
to the protrusion. The at least one stop is attached to the
removable heel and configured to prevent translation of the
removable heel relative to the protrusion. A flexural lock attached
to the removable heel is configured to engage the channel and
prevent rotation of the removable heel relative to the protrusion.
The flexural lock may be manually disengaged by the person to
release the removable heel from the protrusion.
Inventors: |
Sherwood; Juliana Lutzi;
(Glendale, CA) ; Sherwood; Robert Lee; (Glendale,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sherwood; Juliana Lutzi
Sherwood; Robert Lee |
Glendale
Glendale |
CA
CA |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
47879264 |
Appl. No.: |
13/623852 |
Filed: |
September 20, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61537402 |
Sep 21, 2011 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 21/39 20130101;
A43B 21/47 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/100 |
International
Class: |
A43B 21/36 20060101
A43B021/36; A43B 3/24 20060101 A43B003/24 |
Claims
1. A shoe with an interchangeable heel, comprising: a shoe body
configured to accept a foot of a person, the shoe body comprising
an outsole defining a bottom heel surface; a protrusion permanently
attached to the bottom heel surface, the protrusion comprising two
oppositely disposed straight edges separating and contiguous with
two oppositely disposed curved edges, wherein the two oppositely
disposed curved edges together define a first circular arc; a
channel disposed within the protrusion between the two oppositely
disposed curved edges, wherein the channel faces away from the
bottom heel surface; a removable heel comprising an open-ended slot
defining a portion of a second circular arc, wherein the portion of
the second circular arc is configured to securely accept the first
circular arc of the protrusion, wherein the removable heel is
rotatably attachable to the protrusion; at least one stop attached
to the removable heel, the at least one stop configured to prevent
translation of the removable heel relative to the protrusion; and a
flexural lock attached to the removable heel configured to engage
the channel, the flexural lock configured to prevent rotation of
the removable heel relative to the protrusion, and wherein the
flexural lock may be manually disengaged by the person to release
the removable heel from the protrusion.
2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the at least one stop comprises a
pin, a dowel pin, or a metallic pin.
3. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the removable heel comprises at
least two holes configured to accept the at least one stop.
4. The shoe of claim 3, wherein the at least one stop may be
installed in either of the at least two holes such that the
removable heel can be configured for either a left or a right shoe
configuration.
5. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the removable heel is defined as
comprising a centerline, and wherein a distance from the centerline
to the at least one stop is greater than a half of a width defined
between the two oppositely disposed straight edges.
6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the removable heel is defined as
comprising a centerline and wherein the protrusion is defined as
comprising a second centerline between the two oppositely disposed
curved edges.
7. The shoe of claim 6, wherein the protrusion is translatable
within the open-ended slot when the centerline of the removable
heel is perpendicular to the second centerline of the
protrusion.
8. The shoe of claim 7, wherein the removable heel is rotatable
relative to the protrusion in a single rotational direction from a
first position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular with the second centerline of the protrusion to a
second position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
aligned with the second centerline of the protrusion.
9. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the flexural lock comprises a
manually accessible tab extension, wherein the person can depress
the tab extension disengaging the flexural lock from the
channel.
10. A shoe, comprising: a shoe body configured to accept a foot of
a person, the shoe body comprising an outsole defining a bottom
heel surface; a translatable and rotatable slide permanently
attached to the bottom heel surface, the slide comprising two
oppositely disposed straight edges separating and contiguous with
two oppositely disposed curved edges, wherein the two oppositely
disposed curved edges together define a first circular arc; a
channel disposed within the slide between the two oppositely
disposed curved edges, wherein the channel faces away from the
bottom heel surface; a removable heel comprising a slide-receiving
cavity defining a portion of a second circular arc, wherein the
portion of the second circular arc is configured to securely accept
the first circular arc of the slide, wherein the removable heel is
rotatably attachable to the slide; at least one stop attached to
the removable heel, the at least one stop configured to prevent
translation of the removable heel relative to the slide; and a
biased lock attached to the removable heel configured to engage the
channel, the biased lock configured to prevent rotation of the
removable heel relative to the slide and wherein the biased lock
may be manually disengaged by the person to release the removable
heel from the slide.
11. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the biased lock comprises a
flexure, spring, or magnet.
12. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the at least one stop comprises a
pin, a dowel pin, or a metallic pin.
13. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the removable heel comprises at
least two holes configured to accept the at least one stop and
wherein the at least one stop may be installed in either of the at
least two holes such that the removable heel can be configured for
either a left or a right shoe configuration.
14. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the removable heel is defined as
comprising a centerline, and wherein a distance from the centerline
to the at least one stop is greater than a half of a length defined
between the two oppositely disposed straight edges.
15. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the removable heel is defined as
comprising a centerline and wherein the slide is defined as
comprising a second centerline between the two oppositely disposed
curved edges, wherein the slide is translatable within the
open-ended slot when the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular to the second centerline of the slide.
16. The shoe of claim 15, wherein the removable heel is rotatable
relative to the slide in a single rotational direction from a first
position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular with the second centerline of the slide to a second
position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is aligned
with the second centerline of the slide.
17. The shoe of claim 10, wherein the biased lock comprises a
manually accessible tab extension, wherein the person can depress
the tab extension disengaging the biased lock from the channel.
18. A shoe, comprising: a shoe body configured to accept a foot of
a person, the shoe body comprising an outsole defining a bottom
heel surface; a protrusion permanently attached to the bottom heel
surface, the protrusion comprising two oppositely disposed edges
separating and contiguous with two oppositely disposed curved
edges, wherein the two oppositely disposed curved edges together
define a first circular arc; a channel disposed within the
protrusion between the two oppositely disposed curved edges,
wherein the channel faces away from the bottom heel surface; a
removable heel comprising an open-ended slot defining a portion of
a second circular arc, wherein the portion of the second circular
arc is configured to snugly accept the first circular arc of the
protrusion, wherein the removable heel is rotatably attachable to
the protrusion; and a biased lock attached to the removable heel
configured to automatically engage the channel, the biased lock
configured to prevent rotation of the removable heel relative to
the protrusion and wherein the biased lock may be manually
disengaged by the person to release the removable heel from the
protrusion.
19. The shoe of claim 18, including at least one stop attached to
the removable heel, the at least one stop configured to prevent
translation of the removable heel relative to the protrusion
20. The shoe of claim 18, wherein the removable heel is defined as
comprising a centerline and wherein the protrusion is defined as
comprising a second centerline between the two oppositely disposed
curved edges, wherein the protrusion is rotatable within the
open-ended slot when the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular to the second centerline of the protrusion, and
wherein the removable heel is pivotable relative to the protrusion
in a rotational direction from a first position wherein the
centerline of the removable heel is perpendicular with the second
centerline of the protrusion to a second position wherein the
centerline of the removable heel is aligned with the second
centerline of the protrusion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority to
provisional application 61/537,402 filed on Sep. 21, 2011, the
contents of which are fully incorporated herein with this
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to shoes. More
particularly, the present invention relates to shoes with
interchangeable heels such that varying heel heights may be used
throughout the day with the same shoe body.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The heel of a shoe may wear out prematurely when worn by a
person. This is especially true of high heels on women's shoes.
This is because the bottommost portion of the high heel that
touches the ground is small in comparison to the upper part of the
heel that supports the woman's heel. Therefore, a lot of weight and
stress is channeled into the small bottom of the heel and causes
premature wear.
[0004] Furthermore, walking in a high heel for an extended period
of time is extremely challenging. As most women have experienced,
the higher the height of the heel the shorter the period of time
they can wear the shoe before they become fatigued and the shoe
starts becoming uncomfortable or even painful. This is because the
heel is dramatically elevated compared to the ball of the foot,
which increases the difficulty of walking and wearing the shoe for
long periods.
[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a shoe with an
interchangeable heel. This would allow a woman to wear one pair of
shoes to work with a relatively low heel, say one inch. The woman
could walk on the shorter heel the whole day and not experience
fatigue or pain. Then, when the woman wanted to go to dinner or an
event later in the evening, she could simply interchange the
shorter heel for a taller one. For example, she could swap out the
one inch heel for a three inch heel. At the end of the night, the
woman could again exchange out the taller heel for the shorter one
if she had a long walk back to her car or to a taxi. The pair of
interchangeable heels that are not being used are small enough that
they could fit into her bag or purse.
[0006] Other inventors have attempted to design and patent
embodiments of this general concept. However, designing a reliable
and easy to use mechanism to interchange high heels is not an easy
task as considerations such as safety, reliability and quality are
key issues that determine whether women will in fact rely upon and
use the product. For instance, a secure fit must be devised such
that when the heel is removably attached to the bottom of the shoe,
that the heel is sufficiently connected to the shoe such that it
does not wobble, flex or move in any unwanted ways. It must be
appreciated that women are often balancing upon the very small area
of the high heel and any weakness in the design could lead to the
woman falling over or breaking the heel. This type of a failure is
very unwanted and undesirable in a product.
[0007] Furthermore, the ability to easily interchange one heel for
another must be simple enough and elegant enough that women won't
be discouraged from using it. For instance, a complicated and tough
to use mechanism discourages a woman from using the product. The
mechanism or design for interchanging one heel for another
shouldn't be difficult to use or require a high level of physical
strength to tighten a fastener or engage a locking mechanism. The
mechanism or design for interchanging one heel for another should
be configured to inspire confidence and eliminate the potential for
wobbles, weaknesses or inconsistent attachments. The present
invention fulfills these needs and provides other related
advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses a
shoe with an interchangeable heel. The shoe comprises a shoe body
configured to accept a foot of a person. The shoe body comprises an
outsole defining a bottom heel surface. A protrusion is permanently
attached to the bottom heel surface. The protrusion comprises two
oppositely disposed straight edges separating and contiguous with
two oppositely disposed curved edges. The two oppositely disposed
curved edges together define a first circular arc. A channel is
disposed within the protrusion between the two oppositely disposed
curved edges, wherein the channel faces away from the bottom heel
surface. A removable heel comprises an open-ended slot defining a
portion of a second circular arc. The portion of the second
circular arc is configured to securely accept the first circular
arc of the protrusion. The removable heel is rotatably attachable
to the protrusion. The at least one stop is attached to the
removable heel. The at least one stop is configured to prevent
translation of the removable heel relative to the protrusion. A
flexural lock is attached to the removable heel and configured to
engage the channel. The flexural lock is configured to prevent
rotation of the removable heel relative to the protrusion. The
flexural lock may be manually disengaged by the person to release
the removable heel from the protrusion.
[0009] In other exemplary embodiments, the at least one stop may
comprise a pin, a dowel pin, or a metallic pin. The removable heel
may comprise at least two holes configured to accept the at least
one stop. The at least one stop may be installed in either of the
at least two holes such that the removable heel can be configured
for either a left or a right shoe configuration.
[0010] The removable heel may be defined as comprising a
centerline, wherein a distance from the centerline to the at least
one stop is greater than a half of a width defined between the two
oppositely disposed straight edges. Furthermore, the removable heel
may be defined as comprising a centerline and wherein the
protrusion may be defined as comprising a second centerline between
the two oppositely disposed curved edges. The protrusion may be
translatable within the open-ended slot when the centerline of the
removable heel is perpendicular to the second centerline of the
protrusion. Then, the removable heel may be pivotable relative to
the protrusion in a single rotational direction from a first
position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular with the second centerline of the protrusion to a
second position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
aligned with the second centerline of the protrusion.
[0011] The flexural lock may comprise a manually accessible tab
extension, wherein the person can depress the tab extension
disengaging the flexural lock from the channel.
[0012] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a
shoe comprises a shoe body configured to accept a foot of a person.
The shoe body comprises an outsole defining a bottom heel surface.
A translatable and rotatable slide is permanently attached to the
bottom heel surface. The slide comprises two oppositely disposed
straight edges separating and contiguous with two oppositely
disposed curved edges. The two oppositely disposed curved edges
together define a first circular arc. A channel is disposed within
the slide between the two oppositely disposed curved edges. The
channel faces away from the bottom heel surface. A removable heel
comprises a slide-receiving cavity defining a portion of a second
circular arc. The portion of the second circular arc is configured
to securely accept the first circular arc of the slide, wherein the
removable heel is rotatably attachable to the protrusion. At least
one stop is attached to the removable heel. The at least one stop
is configured to prevent translation of the removable heel relative
to the slide. A biased lock is attached to the removable heel
configured to engage the channel. The biased lock is configured to
prevent rotation of the removable heel relative to the slide. The
biased lock may be manually disengaged by the person to release the
removable heel from the slide.
[0013] In other exemplary embodiments, the biased lock may comprise
a flexure, spring or magnet. The at least one stop may comprise a
pin, a dowel pin, or a metallic pin. The removable heel may
comprise at least two holes configured to accept the at least one
stop. The at least one stop may be installed in either of the at
least two holes such that the removable heel can be configured for
either a left or a right shoe configuration.
[0014] The removable heel may be defined as comprising a centerline
wherein a distance from the centerline to the at least one stop is
greater than a half of a length defined between the two oppositely
disposed straight edges. Furthermore, the removable heel may be
defined as comprising a centerline and wherein the protrusion may
be defined as comprising a second centerline between the two
oppositely disposed curved edges, wherein the protrusion is
translatable within the open-ended slot when the centerline of the
removable heel is perpendicular to the second centerline of the
protrusion. Then, the removable heel may be pivotable relative to
the protrusion in a single rotational direction from a first
position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
perpendicular with the second centerline of the protrusion to a
second position wherein the centerline of the removable heel is
aligned with the second centerline of the protrusion.
[0015] The biased lock may comprise a manually accessible tab
extension, wherein the person can depress the tab extension
disengaging the biased lock from the channel.
[0016] In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a
shoe comprises a shoe body configured to accept a foot of a person.
The shoe body comprises an outsole defining a bottom heel surface.
A protrusion is permanently attached to the bottom heel surface.
The protrusion comprises two oppositely disposed edges separating
and contiguous with two oppositely disposed curved edges, wherein
the two oppositely disposed curved edges together define a first
circular arc. A channel is disposed within the protrusion between
the two oppositely disposed curved edges. The channel faces away
from the bottom heel surface. A removable heel comprises an
open-ended slot defining a portion of a second circular arc. The
portion of the second circular arc is configured to snugly accept
the first circular arc of the protrusion such that the removable
heel is rotatably attached to the protrusion. A biased lock is
attached to the removable heel configured to automatically engage
the channel. The biased lock is configured to prevent rotation of
the removable heel relative to the protrusion. The biased lock may
be manually disengaged by the person to release the removable heel
from the protrusion.
[0017] Other exemplary embodiments may include at least one stop
attached to the removable heel, the at least one stop configured to
prevent translation of the removable heel relative to the
protrusion.
[0018] The removable heel may be defined as comprising a centerline
and wherein the protrusion is defined as comprising a second
centerline between the two oppositely disposed curved edges. The
protrusion may be translatable within the open-ended slot when the
centerline of the removable heel is perpendicular to the second
centerline of the protrusion. Then, the removable heel may be
rotatable/pivotable relative to the protrusion in a rotational
direction from a first position wherein the centerline of the
removable heel is perpendicular with the second centerline of the
protrusion to a second position wherein the centerline of the
removable heel is aligned with the second centerline of the
protrusion.
[0019] Other features and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following more detailed description, when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary shoe with an
interchangeable heel embodying the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, now with the shoe body
shown in hidden lines;
[0023] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the
interchangeable heel assembly;
[0024] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the protrusion
about to enter the open-ended slot;
[0025] FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the protrusion;
[0026] FIG. 6 is a similar view to FIG. 4, now showing the
protrusion entering the open-ended slot of the interchangeable
heel;
[0027] FIG. 7 is a sectional perspective view taken along lines 7-7
of FIG. 6;
[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective view, now showing the protrusion
rotating relative to the open-ended slot of the interchangeable
heel;
[0029] FIG. 9 is a sectional perspective view taken along lines 9-9
of FIG. 8;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a simplified cross-sectional top view taken along
lines 10-10 of FIG. 6;
[0031] FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, now showing the protrusion
rotating relative to the open-ended slot of the interchangeable
heel;
[0032] FIG. 12 is a simplified cross-section top view similar to
FIG. 10, now showing a new alternative embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0033] FIG. 13 is a similar view to FIG. 11, now showing the
embodiment of FIG. 12 and the lock preventing rotation and
translation by fully engaging a rectangular recess disposed within
the protrusion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a
shoe 10 with an interchangeable heel 12 embodying the present
invention. The shoe 10 comprises a shoe body 14 configured to
accept a foot 20 of a person 22. The shoe body 14 can be an open
style shoe as depicted herein or a traditional style shoe with
laces, magnetic attachments, or hook-and-loop style attachments.
The shoe body 14 comprises an outsole 16 defining a bottom heel
surface 18. The shoe body 14 may be any form, size or shape of a
typical shoe such as a heel, a high heel, a woman's shoe, a man's
shoe or any other combination and variation thereof. Accordingly,
the present invention is not limited in application to women's
shoes but is only depicted herein as so for convenience and brevity
as one skilled in the art could apply this teaching to any style or
type of shoe.
[0035] FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 now with the shoe body 14
shown in hidden lines also without the foot 20 of the person 22. A
protrusion 24 is permanently attached to the bottom heel surface
18. The protrusion 24 may also be described as a slide 24. The
protrusion 24 has a connected base plate 26. The base plate 26 is
permanently bonded, glued, fastened or secured to the bottom heel
surface 18. Also shown in this embodiment is a triangular extension
28. The triangular extension 28 may be removed from the invention
or may be comprised of a variety shapes. The triangular extension
28 may help to secure the base plate 26 to the bottom heel surface
18, especially so if the bottom heel surface 18 has a similarly
formed triangular recess.
[0036] Referring now to FIG. 5, the protrusion 24 comprises two
oppositely disposed straight edges 30 separating and contiguous
with two oppositely disposed curved edges 32. The two oppositely
disposed curved edges 32 together define a first circular arc 34.
It is to be understood by one skilled in the art that the straight
edges 30 need not be exactly straight or continuous along any one
side. For example, the straight edges 30 may be curved inwards,
curved less than the curved edges 32 or any other suitable shape
that doesn't conflict the teachings of the present invention.
[0037] A channel 36 is disposed within the protrusion 24 between
the two oppositely disposed curved edges 32. The channel 36 faces
away from the bottom heel surface 18. It is to be also understood
by one skilled in the art that the channel 36 may take the form of
a variety of shapes consistent with the teachings of this
disclosure, as this teaching is not limited to the exact form
depicted herein.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 3, the protrusion 24 and the
interchangeable heel 12 are depicted in an exploded perspective
view. The removable heel 12 comprises an open-ended slot 38. The
open-ended slot 38 may also be described as a slide-receiving
cavity 38 defining a portion of a second circular arc 40. The
open-ended slot 38 has a flange 42 that helps capture the
protrusion 24 when the interchangeable heel 12 is used. Because the
protrusion 24 is larger in size than that of the flange portion 42,
once the protrusion 24 is located within the open-ended slot 38,
the heel 12 cannot be removed from the bottom heel surface 18 of
the shoe 12 in a downward movement. Therefore, the heel 12 has to
be removed the same way it was installed. The portion of the second
circular arc 40 is configured to securely accept the first circular
arc 34 of the protrusion 24 through a close and tight-fit. Matching
the size and shape of the two arcs 34 and 40 helps to provide a
secure attachment between the shoe body 14 and the interchangeable
heel 12.
[0039] A stop 44 is attached to the removable heel 12. The stop 44
may be at least one stop, two stops, or a plurality of stops. The
stop 44 is configured to prevent translation of the
removable/interchangeable heel 12 relative to the protrusion
24.
[0040] The removable heel 12 may include a set of holes 46 for the
stop 44 to be placed within. The holes 46 may be a single hole, two
holes, or a set of holes such as four holes. The stop 44 may
comprise a pin, a dowel pin, or a metallic pin. The stop 44 may
also be formed as part of the heel 12 and not a separate part
installed at a later time.
[0041] The stop 44 may be installed in either of two holes such
that the removable heel can be configured for either a left or a
right shoe configuration. FIG. 3 shows such a stop 44 placement.
One should note that two of the holes 46 are left empty. The stops
44 prevent the protrusion 24 from rotating in both directions when
the protrusion is placed within the open-ended slot 38. More
importantly, the stops 44 prevent the protrusion 24 from slipping
outward from the heel 12 when in use. This prevents the protrusion
24 from translating away from the interchangeable heel 12. It is to
be noted that in this depiction the stops 44 are placed in the
front right hole 46 and the left rear hole 46. The stops 44 can't
be placed in both the front holes 46 or both the rear holes 46, as
this would prevent the protrusion 24 from rotating in either
direction when placed inside the open-ended slot 38.
[0042] Still referring to FIG. 3, a flexural lock 48 is attached to
the removable heel 12 and configured to engage the channel 36. The
flexural lock 48 may also be referred to herein as a biased lock
48. The biasing can be accomplished with a flexure section 50 or an
auxiliary spring not shown herein. The flexural lock 48 is
configured to prevent rotation of the removable heel 12 relative to
the protrusion 24. The flexural lock 48 may be manually disengaged
by the person to release the removable heel from the protrusion.
The flexural lock 48 may comprise a manually accessible tab
extension 52, wherein the person 22 can depress the tab extension
52 disengaging the flexural lock 48 from the channel 36. As can be
seen by those skilled in the art, many combinations of flexural
locks 48 and channels 36 can be devised to stop rotation and
translation as this disclosure is not limited to the precise form
shown and described herein. The lock 48 may be permanently
installed into the heel 12 with a fastener, bonding, tie, pin,
rivet 54 or any other suitable means by one skilled in the art.
[0043] The removable heel 12 may be defined as comprising a
centerline 56. A distance from the centerline 56 to a stop 44 is
greater than a half of a width defined between the two oppositely
disposed straight edges 30. This is so because the protrusion 24
has to be narrower than the stops 44 or else the protrusion 24
could not be placed within the open-ended slot 38. For
clarification refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a perspective view
illustrating the protrusion/slide 24 about to enter the open-ended
slot 38. FIG. 6 is similar view to FIG. 4, now showing the
protrusion/slide 24 entering the open-ended slot 38.
[0044] FIG. 10 is a simplified cross-sectional top view taken along
lines 10-10 of FIG. 6. One can see that the width 60 is less than
the distance 62 between the two stops 44.
[0045] FIG. 8 is a perspective view, now showing the
protrusion/slide 24 rotating relative to the open-ended slot 38 of
the interchangeable heel 12. FIG. 11 is similar to FIG. 10, now
showing the protrusion/slide 24 rotating relative to the open-ended
slot 38 of the interchangeable heel 12. One can see that the stops
44 prevent further rotation. Also the forwardmost (right front)
stop 44 prevents translation of the protrusion 24 from open-ended
slot 38.
[0046] The protrusion 24 may be defined as comprising a second
centerline 58 between the two oppositely disposed curved edges 32.
The protrusion 24 may be translatable within the open-ended slot 38
when the centerline 56 of the removable heel 12 is perpendicular to
the second centerline 58 of the protrusion 24 as shown in FIGS. 4,
6, 7 and 10. Then, the removable heel 12 may be pivotable/rotatable
relative to the protrusion 24 in a single rotational direction from
a first position wherein the centerline 56 of the removable heel 23
is perpendicular with the second centerline 58 of the protrusion 24
to a second position wherein the centerline 56 of the removable
heel 12 is aligned with the second centerline 58 of the protrusion
24.
[0047] The purpose of creating a heel attachment mechanism which
requires the person 22 to first slide the protrusion 24 into the
open-ended slot 38 and then rotate the heel 12 relative to the shoe
body 14, results in a secure and tight fit between the shoe body 14
and the removable/interchangeable heel 12. The lock 48 engages the
channel 36 such that rotation is now fixed. The heel 12 cannot
slide out because the stop 44 is in the way. Through this unique
and inventive attachment mechanism, the heel 12 is secured in a
strong and reliable means that provides comfort to the person 22
that the heel 12 will not become loose, wobbly or fall apart.
[0048] FIG. 12 is a simplified cross-section top view similar to
FIG. 10, now showing a new alternative embodiment of the present
invention. FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 11, now showing the lock 48
preventing rotation and translation by fully engaging a rectangular
recess 64 disposed within the protrusion. In this embodiment the
open-ended slot 38 has a larger circular arc 40. The protrusion 24
is just thin enough to pass by the small gap 62. Once the
protrusion 24 is translated into the open-ended slot 38, it is
rotated. The rectangular recess 64 is matched fit to the lock 48.
It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that other
shapes beyond rectangles could be devised to match fit the recess
64 and the lock 48. Once the lock 48 engages the recess 64, the
removable heel 12 and shoe 10 are together connected as one
assembly. In this embodiment, the stops 44 have been eliminated
while maintaining the secured locking between the shoe body 14 and
the interchangeable heel 12. The person 22 can rotate the heel 12
relative to the shoe body 14 in either rotational directional to
facilitate the lock 48 engaging the recess 64.
[0049] Although several embodiments have been described in detail
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to
each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the
appended claims.
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