U.S. patent number 3,886,674 [Application Number 05/418,495] was granted by the patent office on 1975-06-03 for article of footwear.
Invention is credited to Rafael Saurina Pavia.
United States Patent |
3,886,674 |
Pavia |
June 3, 1975 |
Article of footwear
Abstract
A sole has a toe end and a heel end. A heel is located at the
heel end and has one portion closer to and another portion farther
from the toe end. A pivot connects the one portion with the sole so
that the heel can pivot relative to the sole about a transverse
axis extending parallel to the plane of the sole. One or more
biasing springs are interposed between and bear upon the heel and
the heel end of the sole, first to normally maintain the other
portion of the heel spaced from the sole and to resiliently resist
pivoting of the heel toward the sole. The opposite ends of the
springs are connected to the heel and the sole, respectively.
Inventors: |
Pavia; Rafael Saurina (San Juan
de Enova, ES) |
Family
ID: |
8357859 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/418,495 |
Filed: |
November 23, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/38 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B
21/433 (20130101); A43B 21/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A43B
21/00 (20060101); A43B 21/30 (20060101); A43b
021/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/38 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
926,391 |
|
Apr 1947 |
|
FR |
|
1,014,999 |
|
Jun 1952 |
|
FR |
|
Primary Examiner: Guest; Alfred R.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Striker; Michael S.
Claims
What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters
Patent is set forth in the appended claims:
1. In an article of footwear, a combination comprising a sole
having a toe end and a heel end; a heel located at said heel end
and having one portion closer to and another portion farther from
said toe end, said heel including a ground-engaging part having a
surface facing said sole, and a plate part overlying said surface
and having in the region of said one portion a bend extending
towards said sole; pivot means connecting said bend with said sole,
so that said heel can pivot about a transverse axis extending
parallel to the plane of said sole; biasing means interposed
between and bearing upon said heel and said heel end of said sole,
so as to normally maintain said other portion spaced from said sole
and to resiliently resist pivoting of the heel toward said sole;
and connecting means connecting said biasing means with said heel
and said sole, respectively.
2. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said biasing means
comprises biasing spring means having end portions respectively
located adjacent to said heel and said sole; and wherein said
connecting means connects said end portions to said heel and said
sole, respectively.
3. A combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said biasing means
comprises biasing spring means having one portion connected with
said sole, and another end portion connected with said plate
part.
4. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said connecting
means comprises screw means connecting said plate part with said
ground-engaging part.
5. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said biasing spring
means comprises a single biasing spring interposed between said
sole and said other portion of said heel.
6. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said biasing spring
means comprises a plurality of biasing springs at least one of
which is closer to and at least one other of which is farther from
said pivot means.
7. A combination as defined in claim 3, wherein said biasing spring
means comprises helical compression spring means.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an article of footwear,
and more particularly to an improved article of footwear having a
spring-loaded heel.
Articles of footwear are known in a variety of types and styles
which is too great to mention individually. Heretofore, however, to
my knowledge articles of footwear having a spring-loaded heel have
not been proposed in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide
such an article of footwear having a spring-loaded heel.
In pursuance of this object, and of others which will become
apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention resides, in an
article of footwear, in a combination comprising a sole having a
toe end and a heel end. A heel is located at the heel end and has
one portion closer to and another portion farther from the toe end.
Pivot means connects the one portion with the sole, so that the
heel can pivot about a transverse axis extending parallel to the
plane of the sole. Biasing means is interposed between and bears
upon the heel end of the sole, so as to normally maintain the other
portion spaced from the sole and to resiliently resist pivoting of
the heel toward the sole. Connecting means connects the biasing
means with the heel and the sole, respectively.
The advantages of the improved article of footwear are manifold. On
the one hand, it provides a pleasant cushioning effect when a user
walks.
Again, the novel article of footwear has been found to be an aid in
preventing or at least retarding the development of varicose veins,
especially in the case of pregnant wearers where the development of
varicose veins is a particularly frequent and severe problem.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The
invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its
method of operation, together with additional objects and
advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following
description of specific embodiments when read in connection with
the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a vertical section through one embodiment of the
invention; and
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but through another embodiment
of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring firstly to FIG. 1, which illustrates an article of
footwear primarily intended for men who, as a rule, are heavier and
therefore require greater support, and which article will be seen
to have a sole provided with a toe end (at the left side of FIG. 1)
and with a heel end (at the right side of FIG. 1). Placed upon the
upper or inner side of the sole in the region of the heel end is a
plate 1, and a screw 2 extends through the plate 1 and the sole,
having its head counter sunk in the plate 1. The free end of the
shank of the screw 2 extends down below the lower side of the sole
where there is mounted a further plate 6. A nute 3 is threaded onto
this free end.
A heel is provided, having the illustrated ground-engaging part and
having a second part which is constituted by a plate 7 secured (as
by bolting) to the ground-engaging part. That portion of the heel
which is closer to the toe end of the sole is bent upwardly towards
the sole as indicated at 7 and formed with a hollow extending
transversely of the sole and through which a pivot pin 8 extends
which is secured in lugs formed as part of the lower plate 6 and
projecting downwardly as shown. Of course, instead of the pivot pin
8 it would be possible to use screws or the like to pivot the heel.
A strengthening plate 9 can still be inserted into the sole and the
illustrated screw is used to hold this strengthening plate 9 and
the front end of the plate 6 against the sole.
In this embodiment there is utilized a plurality of helical
compression springs 4, of which the one at the right-hand side of
FIG. 1 will be seen to have one of its end convolutions secured to
the screw 2 by means of the nut 3 threaded onto the same. At the
other end of the right-hand spring 4 an end convolution is secured
to the heel by means of the illustrated screw 5 the head of which
engages the end convolution and which screw is threaded through the
plate 7 into the heel. The other springs can be similarly secured.
Their number may be selected at will, and they may be readily
removable so that the number of springs can be decreased or
increased as desired by a user in order to obtain the maximum
comfort and, possibly, also a desired level of elevation.
FIG. 2 is reminiscent of FIG. 1 and is particularly directed to a
ladies shoe. Like elements are identified by like reference
numerals as in FIG. 1. It will be noted that the portion 7 is bent
at a somewhat more pronounced angle to obtain the desired higher
heel configuration for a ladies shoe, and that only a single spring
4 is utilized in this embodiment. Of course, it is conceivable to
use more than one spring if desired. It will also be noted that
reference numeral 10 identifies a washer which is held by the head
of the screw 3 and serves to clamp the terminal convolution of the
spring 4 against the plate 6. A similar washer is used in
conjunction with the screw 5.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or
two or more together, may also find a useful application in other
types of constructions differing from the types described
above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied
in an article of footwear, it is not intended to be limited to the
details shown, since various modifications and structural changes
may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the
present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the
gist of the present invention that others can by applying current
knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without
omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art fairly
constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific
aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should
and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of
equivalence of the following claims.
* * * * *