U.S. patent application number 16/811799 was filed with the patent office on 2020-09-10 for footwear and methods of manufacture.
This patent application is currently assigned to Prime Creative, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Prime Creative, LLC. Invention is credited to Heather Marvin, William Marvin.
Application Number | 20200281325 16/811799 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004707867 |
Filed Date | 2020-09-10 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200281325 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Marvin; Heather ; et
al. |
September 10, 2020 |
FOOTWEAR AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE
Abstract
A slipper and a method of manufacturing the slipper are
disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the slipper includes an
upper, a footbed, and a bottom. In some embodiments, the slipper is
formed by joining medial and lateral sides of the upper, attaching
a footbed to the upper, and then attaching the bottom to the
upper.
Inventors: |
Marvin; Heather; (Canton,
MA) ; Marvin; William; (Canton, MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Prime Creative, LLC |
Canton |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Prime Creative, LLC
Canton
MA
|
Family ID: |
1000004707867 |
Appl. No.: |
16/811799 |
Filed: |
March 6, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62816042 |
Mar 8, 2019 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43D 86/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A43D 86/00 20060101
A43D086/00 |
Claims
1. A method of manufacturing a slipper comprising: forming an upper
by attaching a lateral side of the upper to a medial side of the
upper; attaching a footbed to the upper; and stitching a bottom to
the upper.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching a footbed to the upper
includes attaching the footbed via a binding positioned around an
edge of the upper.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method includes forming at
least one of the lateral side and medial side of the upper prior to
attaching the lateral side of the upper to the medial side of the
upper.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the at least one of the
lateral side and medial side of the upper includes forming the
lateral side, wherein forming the lateral side includes attaching
an inner layer of the lateral side to an outer layer of the lateral
side.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method includes forming one
or more eyelets in at least the outer layer of the lateral side
before attaching the inner layer of the lateral side to the outer
layer of the lateral side.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, moving the outer
layer about a collar region of the lateral side of the upper so
that unfinished edges of the inner and outer layers at the collar
region are disposed in a pocket formed by the inner and outer
layers.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein attaching the lateral side of the
upper to the medial side of the upper includes stitching the
lateral side of the upper to the medial side of the upper.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein stitching the lateral side of the
upper to the medial side of the upper includes stitching at a front
central portion of the upper and stitching at a rear central
portion of the upper.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/816,042,
entitled "FOOTWEAR AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE" and filed on Mar. 8,
2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to footwear, such as
slippers, and to manufacturing methods of making footwear.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Slippers are typically designed to be worn indoors and to be
easily slipped onto and off of a wearer's foot.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Various embodiments of the invention will now be described,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slipper according to
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the slipper of FIG. 1;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slipper in a tightened
arrangement;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a top view of an upper of a slipper according to
some embodiments;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a side view of a slipper according to some
embodiments; and
[0010] FIGS. 6-14 illustrate a method of making a slipper according
to embodiments disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Slippers are typically designed to be worn indoors and to be
easily slipped onto and off of a wearer's foot. Sometimes, slippers
may be provided as an amenity to customers at hotels and/or spas.
Such hotel and spa slippers typically include a toe covering
portion and a bottom. In some arrangements, the slippers are
designed to be disposable.
[0012] The inventors have recognized that traditional hotel and spa
slippers may be comfortable but do not fit well. For example, the
same size slipper may be offered to all customers, with the slipper
being too long for customers with smaller feet and/or too short for
customers with larger feet. In some instances, the slipper may
easily fall off of the wearer's foot and/or the wearer may trip
while walking in the slipper.
[0013] The inventors have recognized that advantages may be
realized by having slippers that may comfortably fit a range of
sizes of feet, both of men and women. For example, advantages may
be realized by having a slipper that is sizeable to allow for a
comfortable fit from a US women's size 5 through a US men's size
15. Advantages also may be realized by having a slipper that is
adjustable. For example, advantages may be realized by allowing a
wearer to loosen or tighten the slipper around his foot to achieve
a desired fit.
[0014] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the slipper
may include an upper, a footbed, and a bottom. The inventors have
recognized that advantages may be realized by making such a slipper
without using a last. For example, the inventory, storage,
development, and costs of using a last and that are generally
considered to be fundamental to footwear assembly and fit may be
reduced or even avoided. Advantages also may be realized by having
the bottom of the slipper stitched to the upper. For example, the
cost, hand labor, and chemical processes of cementing the bottom to
the upper may be reduced or even avoided. In some embodiments, the
slipper may include a die-cut EVA bottom that is stitched to a
footbed attached to the upper. In such an example, the footbed may
be sewn to the upper. The footbed also may be attachable to the
upper via a binding.
[0015] The inventors have also recognized that advantages also may
be realized by having an upper with button-hole stitches for a
lacing system. For example, the slipper may include or more eyelets
through which laces or cords may be passed. In some embodiments,
this arrangement allows the slipper to be tightly secured on the
wearers foot for a desired fit, without adding stiff components or
materials or additional labor.
[0016] In view of the above, embodiments disclosed herein include a
slipper having an upper, a footbed, and a bottom. In some
embodiments, the upper includes an opening for receiving a wearer's
foot. In some embodiments, the footbed is attached to the upper.
For example, the footbed may be attached to the upper with a
binding around the edge. In some embodiments, the bottom is
stitched on to the upper. For example, the bottom may be stitched
onto the footbed and upper. In some embodiments, the bottom is
arranged to contact a surface, such as a floor. In some
embodiments, the bottom includes one or more treads.
[0017] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate an embodiment of a slipper according to
embodiments disclosed herein. As shown in these views, the slipper
includes an upper 102, a footbed 104, and a bottom 106. In some
embodiments, as will be described, the upper includes a lateral
side 108a and a medial side 108b. In such embodiments, the lateral
and medial sides 108a, 108b may be joined together via one or more
seams. For example, a first seam 110a may be located in a front
portion of the slipper (see FIGS. 1 and 3), and a second seam may
be located in a rear or heel portion of the slipper (see FIG. 2).
In some embodiments, the front seam is located in a central portion
of the slipper, such as along a longitudinal axis of the slipper.
As shown in these views, the front seam may be located on a first
side of an opening 112 into which a user may insert his foot, with
the second seam being located on a second, opposite side of the
opening.
[0018] Although the upper is shown as having medial and lateral
sides that are joined together, in other embodiments, the upper may
be formed of a single, unitary piece. In other embodiments, the
upper may be formed of three or more pieces that are attached, such
as sewn, together.
[0019] In some embodiments the upper may include one or more
eyelets 114 through which a lace 116 may be inserted for tightening
the slipper. In some embodiments, the eyelets may include button
holes formed in each of the lateral and medial sides of the upper.
Although the upper is shown with 8 eyelets on each of the medial
and lateral sides, the upper may have more or fewer eyelets. For
example, the upper may have 2 or more eyelets on each of the medial
and lateral sides. As will be further appreciated, the medial and
lateral sides need not have the same number of eyelets. For
example, the medial side may include 8 eyelets while the lateral
side includes 6 eyelets.
[0020] In some embodiments, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the
slipper is arranged to be adjustable by the wearer. For example,
the wearer may pull on the laces to move the eyelets closer to one
another (see the arrow labeled X in FIG. 4). In some embodiments,
as shown in FIG. 5, the wearer also may move a portion of the upper
(see the arrow labeled Y) to insert his foot into the opening
and/or to adjust the fit of the slipper on his foot prior to
tightening the laces. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, when
the wearer has tightened the laces, the user may tie a knot in the
laces to maintain the slipper with the desired fit around the
wearer's foot. In other embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the
slipper may include a clip 120 arranged to hold the tightened laces
together, with the slipper being held in the desired fit. In some
embodiments, the lace or cord may be made of an elastic material so
as to maintain even tension around the foot without causing the
wearer discomfort or specific points of irritation directly under
the laces.
[0021] In some embodiments, when the slipper is in a tightened
position, one or more portions of the upper may move over or under
other portions of the upper. For example, as show in FIG. 3, in the
tightened position, a portion of each of the lateral and medial
sides of the upper slipper have been rolled over one another (e.g.,
near the eyelets).
[0022] In some embodiments, to remove the slipper from the wearer's
foot, the wearer may untie the laces or release the clip to loosen
the upper from around the wearer's foot. The wearer may then remove
his foot from the opening in the slipper.
[0023] FIGS. 6-13 illustrate a method of manufacturing a slipper
according to aspects of the present disclosure. First, as
illustrated in FIG. 6-7, the medial and lateral sides of the upper
may be assembled. As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, to
assemble the lateral side 108a of the slipper, a lateral outer
layer 118 and a lateral inner layer 120 are aligned and attached to
one another. In such embodiments, the shape and size of the inner
layer may be the same as the shape and size of the outer layer. As
shown in FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the inner and outer layers
118, 120 of the lateral side 108a of the upper may be stitched
together (see seem 122) around a collar area 124 that may later
form a portion of the opening into which the wearer may insert his
feet.
[0024] As shown in FIG. 6, the outer layer 118 may include one or
more eyelets 114 or button holes for receiving the laces, as
previously described. In some embodiments, the inner layer may not
include eyelets 114, however, the inner layer may include one or
more eyelets in other embodiments.
[0025] Next, the attached layers of the lateral side may be turned
inside out, such as by moving the outer layer 118 about the collar
region (see the arrow labeled Z in FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 8,
once the attached layers of the lateral side have been turned
inside out, the unfished edges 121a, 121b of the outer and inner
layers 118, 120 of the lateral side 108a of the slipper at the
collar region 124 are no longer visible to the wearer. For example,
the unfinished edges 121a, 121b of the outer and inner layers may
be hidden in a pocket 126 formed between the inner and outer
layers.
[0026] In some embodiments, the previous steps may be repeated to
form the medial side of the upper. For example, inner 123 and outer
125 layers of the medial side of the upper (see FIG. 9) may be
aligned and attached to one another at a collar region. Once
attached, the inner and outer layers may be turned inside out such
that the unfinished edges of the outer and inner layers of the
medial side of the slipper at the collar region are no longer
visible.
[0027] FIG. 9 illustrates the step in which the assembled lateral
108a and medial 108b sides of the upper 102 are aligned with one
another other along a front center portion of the upper and a rear
or heel portion of the upper. Once aligned, the lateral 108a and
medial 108b sides of the upper may be attached to one another, such
as via stitching. In some embodiments, a top stitch may be used to
join the lateral and medial sides together, with the seams facing
outwards. In some embodiments, a raw or unfinished edge of the
lateral and/or medial sides may be visible along one or both of the
seams. As shown in FIG. 10, the lateral and medial sides may be
joined at a front seam 110a and at a rear seam. In some
embodiments, the front seam is located in central portion of the
front of the slipper. In some embodiments, the rear seam is located
in a central region of the heel of the slipper.
[0028] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, a footbed 104 may be attached to
the upper. In some embodiments, the footbed is attachable to the
upper via a binding that is positioned around an edge of the upper.
In some embodiments, the footbed may be stitched to the upper. FIG.
12 illustrates the footbed secured to the upper, with the binding
being visible.
[0029] Finally, as shown in FIG. 13, the bottom may be attached to
upper and/or footbed. For example, the bottom may be stitched on to
the upper and/or footbed (see the seam 128 in FIG. 14). FIG. 1
illustrates an example of an assembled slipper.
[0030] As will be appreciated, the slipper may be formed of any
suitable material or combination of materials. In some embodiments,
each upper, footbed, and bottom may be made of different materials.
For example, in some embodiments, the upper may be formed of a
fabric material, such as terry cloth or fleece, while the bottom is
formed of an EVA foam. Other suitable materials may be used in
other embodiments.
[0031] Although embodiments have been shown and described for
making slippers, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure
may be used to make other types of footwear, such as sneakers.
[0032] While the present teachings have been described in
conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not
intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments
or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass
various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be
appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the
foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
[0033] Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone,
in combination, or in a variety of arrangements not specifically
discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and is
therefore not limited in its application to the details and
arrangement of components set forth in the foregoing description or
illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one
embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in
other embodiments.
[0034] Also, the invention may be embodied as a method, of which an
example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method
may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be
constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than
illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously,
even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative
embodiments.
[0035] Use of ordinal terms such as "first," "second," "third,"
etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself
connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element
over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are
performed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim
element having a certain name from another element having a same
name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim
elements.
[0036] Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the
purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The
use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing,"
"involving," and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass
the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as
additional items.
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