U.S. patent number 3,822,490 [Application Number 05/356,333] was granted by the patent office on 1974-07-09 for hollow member for shoes.
Invention is credited to Steve A. Murawski.
United States Patent |
3,822,490 |
Murawski |
July 9, 1974 |
HOLLOW MEMBER FOR SHOES
Abstract
A hollow member for a shoe which includes a recessed
construction so that as the user walks a cushioned effect is
provided.
Inventors: |
Murawski; Steve A. (Chicago,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
23401047 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/356,333 |
Filed: |
May 2, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/105; D2/964;
36/35R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
21/26 (20130101); A43B 13/20 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
13/18 (20060101); A43B 21/00 (20060101); A43B
13/20 (20060101); A43B 21/26 (20060101); A43b
021/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/35R,35A,34R,28,2.5R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lawson; Patrick D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Levy; Sherman
Claims
I claim:
1. In a hollow heel for a shoe that includes an upper and a sole,
said heel comprising an inclined top surface, a bottom piece, said
heel including a body portion having a recess in the rear thereof
that defines upper and lower portions that can flex towards and
away from each other, said heel having an opening therein that
communicates with said recess.
2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the lower rear
portion of the heel is squared off.
3. In a hollow heel for a shoe including a sole, and an upper, said
heel including top and bottom pieces, said sole having openings
therein, nipples projecting from the top and bottom of the heel,
the top nipples received in the openings in the sole, a base piece
having openings for receiving the lower nipples, a pair of spaced
apart side pieces interposed between said top and bottom pieces,
said side pieces having V-shaped grooves in the outer surfaces
thereof, each of said side pieces having a tapered formation and
wherein the front of side pieces tapers to a point and the rear
thereof is of wider construction, reinforcing material surrounding
said side pieces for retaining the side pieces in place, the front
and rear ends of the heel being open, said heel being made of
flexible plastic-like material.
4. In a shoe, an upper and a sole, a hollow base affixed to said
sole at its outer periphery, and said base including a side member
having V-shaped grooves therein to permit flexing action, and
hollow tubes arranged in the sole providing supporting members.
Description
The present invention relates to footwear for shoes, and more
particularly to a hollow heel and hollow sole for such a shoe.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a hollow
heel for a shoe that will flex as the user walks so that the user
can wear the shoe with increased comfort or flexibility.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe that includes
a hollow heel and hollow sole, so that there is provided an air
space within the heel or shoe that permits a flexing action to take
place during use of the shoe.
Yet another object is provision of a hollow heel or sole that is
economical to manufacture and efficient in operation and which is
rugged in structure.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent as the following description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the
invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described
and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following
description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail
certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being
indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the
principles of the invention may be employed.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one form of a hollow heel
constructed according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified or
alternative form of the hollow shoe heel.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the heel of FIG. 2
and with parts broken away and in section.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of the heel of FIG. 1, with
parts broken away and in section for clarity of illustration.
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the heel of FIG. 1 and taken
on the line 5--5 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and in
section, showing a sole construction that is hollow.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the sole of FIG. 7, with parts broken away
and in section.
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating certain
constructional details of the heel and showing the bottom layer
squared off end of the heel.
Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS.
1, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the numeral 20 indicates a portion of a
shoe that includes the usual upper 21 and sole 22, and the numeral
23 indicates the hollow heel of the present invention. As shown in
the drawings, the heel 23 includes a body member 24 that is made of
a suitable material, such as rubber or plastic and has a certain
amount of resiliency therein. The top surface of the body member 24
may be inclined as at 25. The numeral 26 indicates a recess that is
formed or arranged in the rear portion of the heel whereby there is
defined in the heel at the rear thereof upper and lower portions or
flaps 27 and 28. The rear end of the lower section 28 may be
squared off as indicated by the numeral 29, FIG. 4. As shown in
FIG. 5, there is provided in the body member 24, an opening 30
which establishes communication between the recess 26 and the front
edge 33 of the heel 23. The numeral 31 indicates a base piece or
bottom piece, and the base piece 31 may be suitably secured to the
flat lower surface 34 of the heel 23 by means of securing elements
such as tacks 32.
Attention is directed to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, wherein
there is illustrated a modified or alternative shoe heel, as is
indicated by the numeral 35, and the hollow shoe heel 35 is adapted
to be used with a conventional shoe 36 that includes the usual
upper 37 and sole 38.
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6, the hollow shoe heel 35 includes a
top piece 39 and a bottom piece or section 40, and interposed or
positioned between the top and bottom pieces 39 and 40 is a pair of
spaced apart, curved side members or side pieces 41. Each of the
side pieces 41 has the same construction and each has outer and
inner curved surfaces 42 and 43. The side pieces 41 have a tapered
formation so that the front edge tapers to a point 44, while the
rear edge is wider or thicker, as indicated by the numeral 45. The
numeral 46 indicates a V-shaped groove or recess that is provided
in the flexible side pieces 41 so that a cushioned effect is
provided for the heel as the user wears the same.
As shown in FIG. 3, there is provided adjacent the top of the shoe
heel 35, layers of material 47 which may have projections or
nipples 48 extending therefrom, and the nipples 48 are snugly
received in openings 49 in the sole 38. Nipples or projections 50
depend from the bottom of the heel 35, and a base piece 52 has
openings 51 that receive the nipples 50, and this provision of the
coating nipples and openings provides a means for attaching the
shoe heel to the shoe as well as providing a means for affixing the
base piece to the bottom of the heel. The side pieces 41 may be
encased or enclosed in reinforcing material 53, as shown in FIG. 3,
whereby the flexible plastic or rubber will be maintained in its
proper position.
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, there is
illustrated a further modification wherein there is shown a
flexible sole for a shoe 54 that has an upper 55 as well as a
bottom portion 56. The numeral 57 indicates the flexible sole that
is adapted to be secured at its outer periphery 58 to the member
56. The sole 57 has a hollow interior whereby there is provided an
inner air space, and the side wall portion 59 of the sole has a
V-shaped groove or indentation 60, which assures that the proper
flexing action will take place as the user wears the shoe.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a
hollow member for a shoe and in use with the parts arranged as
shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, for example, it will be seen that with
the heel 23 suitably affixed to the shoe 20, as the user walks, the
heel can flex due to the provision of the recess 26 and opening 30
which in effect provides a hollow heel construction. The top and
bottom portions or flaps can flex from the solid line position
shown in FIG. 4 to the broken line position shown in FIG. 4 so that
a cushioned effect will be provided as the user walks. The body
portion 24 is adapted to be made of a suitable yieldable material,
such as plastic or rubber.
Similarly, when using the heel 35, shown in FIG. 2, 3 and 6, the
interior of the heel is substantially hollow, due to the provision
of the bottom pieces 39 and 40, and this hollow heel construction
will thus permit the heel to flex to assure maximum comfort to the
user. The heel 35 may be connected to the sole 38 by means of
nipples or projections 48 that are snugly rereceived in openings 49
in the sole 38. Similarly, nipples 50 on the lower end of the heel
are adapted to engage corresponding openings 51 in the base piece
52 whereby there is provided a means for attaching the base piece
to the lower surface of the heel.
The same cushioned effect can be provided for the sole of the shoe
as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, wherein the sidewall 59 has a
V-shaped groove or recess 60 therein so that the bottom portion or
sole portion 57 can flex whereby the sole of the shoe will also
give as the shoe is worn.
It is to be understood that the parts can be made of any suitable
material and in different shapes and sizes as desired or
required.
It will be seen that the heel of the present invention is hollow
and includes an opened end, hinged construction. As shown in FIG.
3, instead of using nails, which scratch floors and the like,
protruding nipples 48 and 50 can be used and these can be pressed
into the bottom wearing layer 52 of the heel, and the pointed
protruding ends of the nipples can be cut off or melted into cone
shaped bottom hole openings for faster production. For placing on
the bottom wearing layer of the heel, this feature also allows the
cavity or opening to be formed inside the heel so that less plastic
is used.
The heel has improved flexing action with the open end construction
and the heel is a see-through construction and allows for less wear
and tear on the bottom end of the heel, due to the flexing action
on both ends of the heel. Also, the heel is easier to walk on and
will take the pounding out of walking and the like. Thus, the heel
has a spring flexing action and both ends can flex. The top of the
heel may be nailed to a shoe. The side walls may have an increased
thickness construction. Hot, molded plastic may be forced through
cone-shaped holes to hold the bottom layer of the heel, which is
made of nylon or the like. The bottom can also be nailed to the
heel if desired. However, the nipple snap-on construction is
preferred. The heel may be made of a suitable material, such as a
suitable polyethylene plastic with a nylon bottom.
The heel 35, shown in FIG. 3, has two-way flexing action and the
flexing action side walls 41 may be thicker and higher or lower for
heavier people or the like. Also, the heel can be made in different
sizes and shapes with thicker or thinner sidewalls and larger or
smaller openings in the open end of the heel.
The heel has shock absorbing actions. The heel is simple to make
and has the two flexing features.
Thus, the present invention includes two separate shock absorbing
features in a see-through style with a simplified heel construction
that is practical. The present invention is an improvement over
prior devices such as those shown in prior U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,114,981, 2,985,971 and 2,983,056.
The heel shown in FIG. 6 has a hollow interior with both ends open,
and there is provided a V-shaped groove 46 on the sides, and the
heel of FIGS. 2, 3 and 6 has flexing action. Plastic nipples can be
cut off if desired, or nails can be used, and the heels can be
attached to the shoe by these nipples, which can be melted down
into cone-shaped holes that are punched in the shoe. The bottom
layer of material, such as the layer 52, may be made of
poly-urethane plastic. The end of the heel may be squared off so as
to prevent turning or twisting of the heel during walking and this
will also provide better foot balance. As shown in FIG. 3, the
nipples may be melted down into the bottom waring layer 52.
In the sole construction of FIGS. 7 and 8, the top of the sole base
is slightly longer than the member 57 and the flexing sole can be
sewed on or glued on or heat-sealed on the shoe. By heat-sealing
the ends of the sole in place, water seepage and the like will be
prevented. The V-shaped groove 60 gives the flexing action. A thin
wearing surface can be applied by the same method. FIG. 8
illustrates a plan view of the flexing sole with the V-shaped
groove.
As shown in the drawings, including FIGS. 1 and 4, a V-shaped
groove 65 is arranged in the sides of the heel.
The present invention includes protruding stubs or nipples in one
form thereof as indicated by the numerals 48 and 50 in FIG. 3.
There is also provided the hinge flexing action or pivot action,
and in FIG. 6 the numeral 66 indicates the pivot points so that a
rocking flexing motion for the heel is provided.
With further reference to the see-through hollow heel construction,
when the heel is attached to the shoe, the bottom lip or layer 28
shown in FIG. 4, will flex or move and then the top layer 27 will
flex due to the rigid shoe construction whereby the parts can move
from a solid line position of FIG. 4 to the broken line position of
FIG 4.
In FIG. 1 there is illustrated the V-shaped groove 65 in the sides
of the heel. FIG. 2 illustrates how the tip end of the heel is
slightly inward. In FIG. 3 there is illustrated cone-shaped holes
or openings. As shown in FIG. 4, both the bottom and top layer can
flex. FIG. 5 also shows the V groove 65 in the sides of the heel.
FIG. 6 illustrates the pivot points indicated by the numeral 66
which serve as hinge balancing zones or points for both ends of the
flexing heel.
In FIG. 7 the numeral 67 indicates the point where the device is
sewn by means of thread to the shoe portion of the sole, and FIG. 7
also illustrated the V-shaped groove 60 in the front of the
shoe.
There is also provided a V-shaped groove 68 in the front of the
shoe sole. FIG. 8 illustrates the inside of the sole with tubes 69
that are hollow and serve as supporting members. The sole ends can
either be heat sealed or glued to the shoe.
The heel is adapted to have sufficient length to provide the
desired arch support. The end of the heel bottom layer is adapted
to be squared off. The sole with the hollow inner tubes 69 provides
a flexing action.
As shown in FIG. 1, the stub of the pivot joint hinge is relatively
short so that there will be a rocking chair motion in the heel
during walking.
In FIG. 6, the balance pivot joints are adapted to be arranged
approximately in the center of the heel or slightly forward
thereof.
Modifications may be made in the device as disclosed without
departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
* * * * *