Patent Application
20180125164
This application relates to footwear.
In fixed-wing and rotating-wing aircraft, foot pedals are used to control the aircraft. In a fixed-wing aircraft, the foot pedals control the rudder. In a rotating-wing aircraft, the pedals control the anti-torque system, e.g. the tail rotor blade pitch, speed, or orientation.
The shoe disclosed herein is particularly suited for use by an aircraft pilot.
In one aspect of the invention, a shoe includes a shoe upper and a sole coupled to the shoe upper, and includes a lower surface comprising a first material, the sole and shoe upper defining a volume sized to receive a wearer's foot. A heel member is secured to a heel portion of the sole and includes a second material having a coefficient of friction less than a coefficient of friction of the first material.
In some embodiments, the first material has a first coefficient of friction and the second material has a second coefficient of friction, the second coefficient of friction being less than half of the first coefficient of friction.
In some embodiments, the second coefficient of friction is between 0.2 and 0.4 times the first coefficient of friction.
In some embodiments, the first material is rubber and the second material is at least one of nylon and an ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer.
In some embodiments, the heel member is positioned such that when the shoe is positioned on a flat surface, the heel member engages the flat surface only when the shoe is pivoted at least 10 degrees above the flat surface.
In some embodiments, the heel member is positioned such that when the shoe is positioned on a flat surface, the heel member engages the flat surface when the shoe is pivoted between 10 and 30 degrees above the flat surface.
In some embodiments, the heel member includes a heel insert embedded in the heel portion of shoe, and the heel insert projects outwardly from the heel portion of the sole.
In some embodiments, the sole includes first and second projections that project upwardly from a lower surface of the sole at the ball of a wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, the sole defines an inverted U-shaped channel in the heel portion and the heel insert protrudes from inside the shoe out of the U-shaped channel.
In some embodiments, the heel insert comprises a flange positioned in the shoe and one or more protrusions secured to the flange, the protrusions extending through the U-shaped channel.
A method of use is also disclosed and claimed herein.
Preferred and alternative examples of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings:
Referring to
A heel 16 of the sole 14 defines a heel aperture 18 that receives a heel insert 20. As described in greater detail below, the heel insert 20 provides a low-friction surface for sliding on the floor of an aircraft cockpit to facilitate actuation of pedals. In alternate embodiments, a heel member may be secured to the heel portion of the shoe rather than inserted therein. For example, a puck made of a material with a lower friction coefficient is secured to the heel of a shoe. The puck or member may be metal, plastic, rubber, or other material.
In the illustrated embodiment, the heel aperture 18 is an inverted U-shaped aperture. The sole 14 defines a heel cup 22 that defines a concave inner surface for cradling the heel of a wearer and defines a wall extending upwardly from the lowest surface of the sole 14. The heel aperture 18 may be defined in a rear surface of the sole 14 and extend through the heel cup 22. The heel aperture 18 has an extent in the vertical direction 12 and may be positioned entirely above a lowermost surface of the sole 14.
The heel insert 20 may include an interior flange 24 that is positioned within the heel cup 22 of the shoe 10 when installed. Specifically, a surface 26 of the flange 24 may be adhered to an interior recessed surface 28 defined by the sole 14. The surface 26 of the flange 24 may be adhered to the interior recessed surface 28 by means of glue, ultrasonic welding, molding of the sole 14 around the heel insert 20, or any other adhesion process.
The heel insert 20 may include a frame portion 30 that has a shape corresponding to the heel aperture 18, e.g., an inverted U shape. The frame 30 may be sized to occupy the aperture 18 such that a perimeter surface 32 of the frame 30 engages the aperture 18. The perimeter surface 32 may be adhered to the aperture 18 by means of glue, ultrasonic welding, or molding of the sole 14 around the heel insert 20, or any other adhesion process.
The heel insert 20 further defines protrusions 34 that protrude outwardly from the frame 30 and outwardly from the sole 14 when the heel insert 20 is in place within the aperture 18. The protrusions 34 may be embedded in the frame 30 and may further extend into the layer of material defining the interior flange 24. The protrusions 34 may be made of the same or different material as the interior flange 24 and frame 30. Likewise, the interior flange 24 and frame 30 may be made of the same or different material. In some embodiments, the protrusions 34 may be made of a rigid, low-friction material such as nylon or an ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymer. Other materials are alternatively used including metal, hard rubber, or plastic. The interior flange 24, frame 30, and the sole 14 may be formed of a wear resistant, flexible material such as a natural or synthetic rubber. For example, the interior flange 24, frame 30, and sole 14 may include polyurethane, a thermoplastic rubber, VIBRAM® rubber, or the like.
The protrusions 34 may secure to the frame 30 by means of glue, ultrasonic welding, molding of the frame 30 around the protrusions 34, or any other adhesion process. In some embodiments, the protrusions 34 and frame 30 may be formed by means of a two-shot molding process using the same or different materials for the protrusions 34 and frame 30.
In some embodiments, one or both of the interior flange 24 and frame 30 may have a hardness that is intermediate that of the sole 14 and the protrusions 34. The protrusions 34 may have a coefficient of friction that is much less than that of the sole 14. For example, the protrusions 34 may have a coefficient of friction that is less than half that of the sole 14. For example, the coefficient of friction of the protrusions 34 may be equal to from 0.2 to 0.4 times that of the sole 14.
The protrusions 34 are elongate having their long dimension oriented generally parallel (e.g. within 10 degrees of parallel) to a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction 12a and the vertical direction 12b when fastened to the sole 14. The protrusions 34 may also be radiused slightly in this plane, e.g. a radius of curvature of between 0.3 and 0.6 meters. The protrusions 34 may have a similar radius in a plane parallel to the longitudinal and lateral directions 12a, 12c.
The protrusions 34 are offset from one another along the lateral direction 12c. For example, a minimum separation between the surfaces of the protrusions 34 facing one another may be between 0.2 and 0.5 times the largest width of the sole 14 in the lateral direction 12c.
The protrusions 34 may be parallel to one another or may be angled outwardly or inwardly from one another with distance from the bottom of the sole 14 in a plane parallel to the vertical and lateral directions 12b, 12c, for example between 0 and 10 degrees.
The extent of the protrusions 34 in the vertical direction 12a, any curvature of the protrusions 34, and the separation of the protrusions 34 in the lateral direction 12c provides for a wide range of angles at which the protrusions 34 engage a supporting surface when the sole 14 is tilted upward during use, as described below with respect to
Referring to
Referring to
The frame 30 may be molded around the protrusions 34 and protrusion frame 40 or the protrusions 34 and protrusion frame 40 may insert within a previously molded frame 30. Likewise, the sole 14 may be molded around the frame 30 or the frame 30 may be adhered within a previously molded sole 14 as outlined above. In some embodiments, the frame 30 may have a perimeter surface 32 having a groove or ridge in order to more securely engage the sole 14.
Referring to
The longitudinal direction 12a of the shoe 10 defines an angle 58 with respect to a floor 60 during use. As shown in
Referring to
While preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment. Instead, the invention should be determined entirely by reference to the claims that follow.
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
