Patent Application
20060010718
This invention relates generally to an article of footwear, and, in particular, to an article of footwear with a removable heel pad.
Conventional articles of athletic footwear include two primary elements, an upper and a sole structure. The upper is often formed of leather, synthetic materials, or a combination thereof and comfortably secures the footwear to the foot, while providing ventilation and protection from the elements. The sole structure generally incorporates multiple layers that are conventionally referred to as an insole, a midsole, and an outsole. The insole is a thin cushioning member located within the upper and adjacent the sole of the foot to enhance footwear comfort. The midsole, which is traditionally attached to the upper along the entire length of the upper, forms the middle layer of the sole structure and serves a variety of purposes that include controlling potentially harmful foot motions, such as over pronation, attenuating ground reaction forces, and absorbing energy. In order to achieve these purposes, the midsole may have a variety of configurations, as discussed in greater detail below. The outsole forms the ground-contacting element of footwear and is usually fashioned from a durable, wear resistant material that includes texturing to improve traction.
A heel counter is often provided at the rear of the footwear, and is contoured to wrap around the user's heel and along the sides of the footwear. The heel counter provides stability and support for the user's heel. The upper wraps around the rear exterior surface of the heel counter and is secured thereto, with a seam typically being provided in the upper at the rear of the heel counter.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article of footwear with a heel pad that reduces or overcomes some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known devices. Particular objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure of the invention and detailed description of certain preferred embodiments.
The principles of the invention may be used to advantage to provide an article of footwear with a removable heel pad that provides additional cushioning and support for a user's heel and ankle.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole assembly, an upper secured to the sole assembly, a heel counter secured to the upper, and a heel pad removably attached to an inner surface of the heel counter.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole assembly and an upper secured to the sole assembly. A heel counter is secured to the upper and has a plurality of recesses. A heel pad having a plurality of projections extends outwardly from an exterior surface thereof, with each projection being received by a corresponding recess to removably attach the heel pad to the heel counter.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole assembly having an outsole, a midsole and an insole. An upper is secured to the midsole, and a heel counter is secured to the upper. The heel counter has a first recess on a medial side thereof and a second recess on a lateral side thereof. A heel pad has a first projection on a medial side thereof and a second projection on a lateral side thereof. The first recess receives the first projection and the second recess receives the second projection. A first fastener secures the first projection within the first recess, and a second fastener secures the second projection within the second recess. A collar is secured to an interior surface of the upper, with a lower surface of the collar being adjacent an upper edge of the heel pad.
In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole assembly having an outsole, a midsole and an insole. An upper is secured to the midsole, and a heel counter is secured to the upper. The heel counter has a first aperture on a medial side thereof and a second aperture on a lateral side thereof. A heel pad has a first projection on a medial side thereof and a second projection on a lateral side thereof. The first aperture receives the first projection and the second aperture receives the second projection. A collar is secured to an interior surface of the upper, with a lower surface of the collar being adjacent an upper edge of the heel pad.
Substantial advantage is achieved by providing an article of footwear with a removable heel pad.
In particular, preferred embodiments of the present invention help improve the fit about a user's heel, helping to maintain the heel in proper position, reduce relative movement of the user's heel, and improve comfort. Additionally, preferred embodiments of the present invention allow different heel pads to be installed in the article of footwear, allowing customization and/or optimization of the footwear.
These and additional features and advantages of the invention disclosed here will be further understood from the following detailed disclosure of certain preferred embodiments.
The figures referred to above are not drawn necessarily to scale and should be understood to provide a representation of the invention, illustrative of the principles involved. Some features of the article of footwear with a replaceable heel pad depicted in the drawings have been enlarged or distorted relative to others to facilitate explanation and understanding. The same reference numbers are used in the drawings for similar or identical components and features shown in various alternative embodiments. Articles of footwear with a replaceable heel pad as disclosed herein would have configurations and components determined, in part, by the intended application and environment in which they are used.
The present invention may be embodied in various forms. The following discussion and accompanying figures disclose an article of footwear 10 in accordance with the present invention. Footwear 10 may be any style of footwear including, for example, athletic footwear. Although the embodiments illustrated herein depict athletic footwear, the present invention is not to be restricted to athletic footwear, and could in fact be incorporated in any style of footwear.
A preferred embodiment of an article of footwear 10 is shown in
For purposes of general reference, footwear 10 may be divided into three general portions: a forefoot portion 11, a midfoot portion 13, and a heel portion 15. Portions 11, 13, and 15 are not intended to demarcate precise areas of footwear 10. Rather, portions 11, 13, and 15 are intended to represent general areas of footwear 10 that provide a frame of reference during the following discussion.
Sole assembly 12 includes a midsole 16 to which upper 14 is secured, and an outsole 18, which may include a tread pattern (not shown) for added traction. An insole 19 (also referred to as a sock liner), seen in
Unless otherwise stated, or otherwise clear from the context below, directional terms used herein, such as rear, rearwardly, front, forwardly, inwardly, outwardly, lower, downwardly, upper, upwardly, etc., refer to directions relative to footwear 10 itself. Footwear 10 is shown in
A heel counter 24, seen in
A heel pad 32 is removably positioned within footwear 10 and abutting an interior surface 34 of heel counter 24. In the illustrated embodiment, a first projection 36 is formed on medial side 20 of heel pad 32, and a second projection 38 is formed on lateral side 22 of heel pad 32. First and second projections 36 and 38 are received by first and second apertures 28, 30, respectively, such that heel pad 32 is removably attached to heel counter 24. Projections 36, 38 may be formed of unitary, that is, one-piece construction with heel pad 32, or they may be separate elements secured to heel pad 32 by adhesive or other suitable fastening means.
It is to be appreciated that the removable heel pad 32 need not necessarily have two projections, nor does heel counter 24 necessarily require two apertures into which the projections extend and in which they are received. A single projection and mating aperture or more than two projections and mating apertures may be formed in heel pad 32 and heel counter 24, respectively.
Further, it is to be appreciated that the size and shape of the projections and mating apertures may vary as well. In the illustrated embodiment, projections 36, 38 and apertures 28, 30 have a generally L-shape and inverted L-shape configurations. However, it is to be appreciated that these configurations are merely illustrative and any other shapes are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
In certain preferred embodiments, a collar 40 is positioned adjacent interior surface 26 of heel portion 15 of upper 14 above heel counter 24 and heel pad 32, as seen in
In the illustrated embodiment, a rib 42 is formed on an exterior surface 44 of collar 40 proximate an upper edge 46 thereof. Rib 42 is positioned adjacent an upper edge 48 of heel portion 15 of upper 14. Collar 40 helps to capture heel pad 32 and maintain it in proper position within upper 14. In a preferred embodiment, an interior surface 50 of collar 40 is substantially flush with an interior surface 52 of heel pad 32. Front lower ends 53 of collar 40 wrap down along inner surface 26 of upper 14 and extend beneath insole 19 on the medial 20 and lateral sides 22 of footwear 10. Insole 19 is positioned above a lower surface 55 of heel pad 32.
In a preferred embodiment, a recess 54 is formed in a rear area of upper edge 56 of heel pad 32.
A recess 57 is similarly formed in a rear upper edge 59 of heel counter 24. A mating tab 58 is formed on a rear lower edge 60 of collar 40. Tab 58 is configured to mate or nest in recess 54 so as to help register heel pad 32 within upper 14.
To remove heel pad 32, a user pulls insole 19 upwardly away from heel pad 32, and pulls heel pad 32 out from engagement with heel counter 24 and from beneath collar 40. Heel pad 32 is inserted in the reverse order. Thus, the user positions heel pad 32 within heel portion 15 of upper 14, pressing projections 36, 38 into the corresponding recesses 28, 30 and ensuring that upper edge 56 of heel pad 32 is positioned beneath collar 40. Insole 19 is then placed on top of heel pad 32.
Another preferred embodiment of heel pad 32 is shown in
As illustrated here, a liner 62 is secured to an interior surface 64 of heel pad 32. Liner 62 may be secured to heel pad 32 by way of cement or other suitable adhesive. Additionally, heat and pressure may be applied to liner 62 and heel pad 32 to ensure a good bond therebetween. Liner 62 acts to provide a smooth comfortable surface for the foot of the user. Liner 62 may be formed of a soft fabric such as nylon, polyester, synthetic leather, or any soft fabric.
In a preferred embodiment, peripheral edges of the projections may be undercut. As illustrated in
Heel pad 32 advantageously can be customized to provide extra support and cushioning about the user's ankle and heel. The thickness of heel pad 32 can be varied to optimize its fit. Heel pad 32 could, for example, be custom fit to very closely follow the profile of a particular individual's foot. In other embodiments, a generalized fit can be made based on the shape of a standard or average foot structure. Thus, the shape of heel pad 32 may be customized to more accurately reflect the shape of a user's foot, particularly about the ankle of a user. For example, as seen in
Further, since heel pad 32 is removably attached to heel counter 24, a user can swap heel pad 32 out and replace it with another heel pad. Thus, a user, or any other individual, could insert a heel pad 32 with a desired construction into footwear 10, and easily replace that pad with a pad of another construction if so desired. This construction allows footwear 10 to easily be customized for particular individuals, particular conditions, or for any other parameter.
Heel pad 32 is preferably formed of a soft, resilient material so as to provide a comfortable feel for the user's heel and ankle. Heel pad 32 may be formed of, for example, a thermoformed ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, or a poured polyurethane foam (which may include a foaming agent), any plastic that could be made into a foam, or any pressurized or inflatable bladders, which can be independent elements or incorporated into the foam component. Other suitable materials for heel pad 32 will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure.
As illustrated in
Thus, it is to be appreciated that in certain preferred embodiments, heel pad 32 may be a multi-layer laminate of desired materials, such as different foams, and such a laminate is not limited to an inner layer and outer layer as described above in connection with
Another preferred embodiment is shown in
In certain preferred embodiments, a fastener 74 may be used to help secure projection 38 within recess 72. In the illustrated embodiment, fastener 74 is a hook and loop fastener with a first portion 76 secured to projection 38 and a second portion 78 secured to an interior surface of recess 72. It is to be appreciated that other types of fasteners will be suitable for securing projection 38 within recess 72 including, for example, snaps and snap rivets. Other suitable fasteners will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art, given the benefit of this disclosure.
In light of the foregoing disclosure of the invention and description of the preferred embodiments, those skilled in this area of technology will readily understand that various modifications and adaptations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. All such modifications and adaptations are intended to be covered by the following claims.
