Abstract:
The problems of easily lost locking pins and lack of compatibility with traditional footwear in providing replaceable heel systems for the footwear are solved by a heel system comprising a locking unit having a first bore and a shoulder in the first bore; a heel unit having a second bore; and a locking member in the first bore, wherein the heel unit is attachable and detachable to the locking unit by sliding the heel unit, wherein the locking member extends from the first bore into the second bore when the footwear assumes ordinary orientations, wherein the locking member is disposed into the first bore when the footwear assumes out of the ordinary positions, and wherein the locking member has a stop which engages the shoulder in the first bore.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Technology 
         [0002]    This disclosure relates to the field of a detachable heel for footwear. This application is for a replaceable heel for footwear with a locking mechanism that provides enhanced convenience and compatibility with conventional shoes. 
         [0003]    USPC: 36/34, 36/42 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0005]    In everyday life, heels for footwear usually wear out much earlier than the footwear does so that heels of footwear are often replaced several times during the life of the footwear. For replacements of worn-out heels, conventional shoes require their users to visit a shoe repair shop. To resolve such inconvenience of finding and visiting a shoe repair shop, shoes with replaceable heels are introduced so that users can readily replace the heels by themselves. For example, Great Britain Patent Application Publication No. GB191109282 A (hereinafter, referred to as “Cooper”) describes a slidably detachable heel for shoes with a gravity locking pin, wherein the locking pin drops by gravity into one socket or the other as the heel or shoe is moved upside down or vice-versa. 
         [0006]    Another application for conventional replaceable heels is to enable shoes to change their functions and/or designs through simply replacing their heels. For example, Tanya Heath, retrieved from the internet &lt;URL:http://ww.tanyahealth.com/en/about-thp-shoes-heels.html&gt; offers multi-height shoes for women that can be worn with a range of heels in different heights. The multi-height shoes worn with low heels provide comfort when their user is, for example, actively working, while the multi-height shoes worn with high heels may provide an aesthetic feel when their user is, for example, attending a social party. 
         [0007]    Neither Cooper nor Tanya Health, however, solves the problems of inconvenience in replacing heels. The locking pin of Cooper, which has a cylindrical shape, is not held by anything but merely contained in the socket in the fixed body of the heel. If a user mistakenly drops his/her shoes when replacing the heel according to Cooper the locking pin will fall out away from the socket and thus can be easily lost. According to Tanya Health, in order to unlock and remove a heel from a shoe, a user should press on a button inside the shoe while simultaneously pulling the heel out. Tanya Health&#39;s locking mechanism is inconvenient in that it may be tiresome for a user to find and push a button inside shoe and simultaneously pull out the heel each time he/she replaces a heel. 
         [0008]    Moreover, a shoe with the replaceable heel mechanism according to Cooper would look different from conventional shoes since both the heel base and the detachable part of the heel are seen from the outside. As such, the replaceable heel mechanism according to Cooper is not compatible with conventional shoes. Nor is the replaceable heel mechanism according to Tanya Heath. Since Tanya Heath&#39;s replaceable heel mechanism requires a button inside a shoe, it cannot be used for conventional shoes. 
         [0009]    Therefore, there is a need to provide more convenient replaceable heel mechanism having compatibility with conventional shoes. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0010]    In one embodiment, the present invention provides a heel system for footwear comprising a locking unit having defined therein a first bore and a shoulder in the first bore; a heel unit having defined therein a second bore; and a locking member in the first bore. 
         [0011]    In one embodiment, the heel unit is attachable and detachable to the locking unit by sliding the heel unit. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, at least a portion of the locking member extends from the first bore into the second bore thereby preventing the heel unit from being slid when the footwear assumes ordinary orientations. 
         [0013]    In one embodiment, the locking member is disposed into the first bore thereby allowing the heel unit to be slid when the footwear assumes out of the ordinary orientations. 
         [0014]    In one embodiment, the locking member has a stop which engages the shoulder in the first bore which retains the locking member at least in part in the first bore when the locking member is disposed into the second bore in the heel unit. 
         [0015]    In one embodiment, the locking unit is attachable to a sole of the footwear. 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, the locking unit has a shape that enables the footwear to take on a traditional appearance when the heel system is attached to the footwear. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, the heel unit has a shape that enables the footwear to take on a traditional appearance when the heel system is attached to the footwear. 
         [0018]    In one embodiment, the sole further comprises a sloped surface and the heel unit further comprises an upper surface, and the locking unit has a thickness varying in compliance with the sloped surface of the sole. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment, the locking unit has a male beveled member and the heel unit has defined therein a female beveled cavity, and the female beveled cavity and the male beveled member are coupled together by sliding one along the other in such a manner that the locking unit is hidden inside the heel unit. 
         [0020]    In one embodiment, the footwear has a longitudinal axis and the male beveled member of the locking unit has a thickness varying along the longitudinal axis of the footwear. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, the footwear has a longitudinal axis and the female beveled cavity of the heel unit has depth varying along the longitudinal axis of the footwear. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, the locking member has a proximate end and a distal end, and the stop of the locking member is at least adjacent to the proximate end and has a nailhead-like shape capable of being disposed by gravity adjacent to the shoulder of the first bore and where the distal end is capable of extending into the second bore when the stop is adjacent to the shoulder. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the footwear is men&#39;s footwear. 
         [0024]    In another embodiment, the present invention provides a footwear comprising: a sole; a locking unit being attached to the sole, the locking unit having defined therein a first bore and a shoulder in the first bore; a heel unit having defined therein a second bore; and a locking member in the first bore, wherein the heel unit is attachable and detachable to the locking unit by sliding the heel unit, wherein at least a portion of the locking member extends from the first bore into the second bore thereby preventing the heel unit from being slid when the footwear assumes ordinary orientations, wherein the locking member is disposed into the first bore thereby allowing the heel unit to be slid when the footwear assumes out of the ordinary orientations, and wherein the locking member has a stop which engages the shoulder in the first bore which retains the locking member at least in part in the first bore when the locking member is disposed into the second bore in the heel unit. 
         [0025]    While the apparatus and method has or will be described for the sake of grammatical fluidity with functional explanations, it is to be expressly understood that the claims, unless expressly formulated under 35 USC 112, are not to be construed as necessarily limited in any way by the construction of “means” or “steps” limitations, but are to be accorded the full scope of the meaning and equivalents of the definition provided by the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents, and in the case where the claims are expressly formulated under 35 USC 112 are to be accorded full statutory equivalents under 35 USC 112. The disclosure can be better visualized by turning now to the following drawings wherein like elements are referenced by like numerals. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0026]    The disclosure and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are presented as illustrated examples of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments as defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below. 
           [0027]      FIG. 1A  is an exploded perspective view which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the replaceable heel system. 
           [0028]      FIG. 1B  is a perspective cutaway view of the shoe of  FIG. 1A  with the replaceable heel system according to a preferred embodiment. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the replaceable heel system according to the embodiment of  FIGS. 1A and 1B  of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3A  is a side cross sectional view which illustrates an exemplary assembled arrangement of the present replaceable heel system when the shoe assumes an ordinary orientation or heel-down orientation. 
           [0031]      FIG. 3B  is a side cross sectional view which illustrates an exemplary assembled arrangement of the present replaceable heel system when the shoe assumes out of the ordinary orientation or inverted heel-up orientation. 
           [0032]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view which illustrates a locking member according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0033]      FIG. 5  is a top perspective view which illustrates a locking unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 6  is a side cross sectional view which illustrates how the stop and the shoulder works according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0035]      FIG. 7  is a top perspective view which illustrates a heel unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
       [0036]    It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0037]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1A and 1B . As illustrated in  FIG. 1A , the preferred embodiment of a replaceable heel system, generally denoted by reference numeral  150 , includes a locking member  110 , a locking unit  120 , and a heel unit  130 . The locking member  110  is disposed in an upper bore  122  of the locking unit  120 . The locking unit  120  may be attached to a sole  160  of a shoe  100 . The heel unit  130  may be attached and detached to the locking unit  120  by sliding the heel unit  130  in one or more directions relative to the locking unit  120 , which is screwed or bolted into sole  160  using through bores  124  and fasteners (not shown). Heel unit  130  has beveled receiving cavity  133  defined therein into which beveled locking unit  120  is slid in a mating tongue and groove relationship.  FIG. 1B  illustrates a perspective view of the shoe  100  when the replaceable heel system  150  is attached to the shoe  100 . As discussed above, the locking unit  120  is fixed to the sole  160  of shoe  100 , the locking member  110  is contained in the upper bore  122 , and the heel unit  130  is slid into the locking unit  120 . As described in a pattern of diagonal lines in  FIG. 1B , when the heel unit  130  is fully slid into the locking member  120 , the locking member  110  and the locking unit  120  are completely hidden by the heel unit  130  and thus not seen from the outside. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  illustrates a top view of the assembled heel unit  130  and locking unit  120  of the replaceable heel system  150  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The shoe  100  is omitted in  FIG. 2  for the sake of clarity of illustration.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate cross sectional views taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 2 , while the shoe  100  is shown in a broken line.  FIGS. 3A and 3B  illustrate how an exemplary locking mechanism according to the present invention functions. 
         [0039]      FIG. 3A  illustrates an exemplary arrangement of the locking member  110 , the locking unit  120 , and the heel unit  130  when the shoe  100  to which the locking unit  120  is fixed assumes ordinary orientations. Herein, the “ordinary orientations” includes the orientations that a shoe assumes when a wearer wears in an ordinary manner. For example, while a shoe  100  is turned downward or heel down, the shoe  100  may be considered to assume ordinary orientations. Further, the “ordinary orientations” may include the orientations that a shoe may assume while a wearer is involved in ordinary activities. For example, while a wearer of the shoe  100  is sitting, walking or running, the shoe may be considered to assume ordinary orientations. 
         [0040]    When the shoe  100  assumes the ordinary orientations, as described in  FIG. 3A , at least a lower portion of the locking member  110  extends from the upper bore  122  into the lower bore  132 . Locking member  110  descends in bore  122  under the force of gravity until a stop  410 , extending in the shape of a radial shoulder or lip from the upper end of locking member  110 , comes into contact with a shoulder  411  defined in the lower portion of the upper bore  122  as an inward extending ring. In the illustrated embodiment locking member  110  is provided in the form of a heavy metal pin which is freely movable within the upper bore  122 . As discussed above with reference to  FIG. 1B , the heel unit  130  may be attached and detached to the locking unit  120  by sliding the heel unit  130  in one or more directions, for example, from the back to the front direction of the shoe  100  and vice-versa. When the locking member  110  extends from the upper bore  122  into the lower bore  132 , however, the extended portion of the locking member  110  extends into the lower bore  132  and thereby preventing the heel unit  130  from being slid from the back to the front direction of the shoe  100  and vice-versa. In other words, the locking unit  120  and the heel unit  130  are in an interlocked arrangement so that the heel unit  130  cannot be detached or moved from the locking unit  120 . As such, accidental detachment of heel unit  130  from the shoe  100  is prevented by the interlocking, while the wearer is engaged in normal activities. 
         [0041]      FIG. 3B  illustrates an exemplary arrangement of the locking member  110 , the locking unit  120 , and the heel unit  130  when the shoe  100  to which the locking unit  120  is fixed assumes out-of-the-ordinary orientations. For example, while a shoe  100  is inverted upside down, the shoe  100  may be considered to assume out of the ordinary orientations. When the shoe  100  assumes out of the ordinary orientations, as described in  FIG. 3B , the locking member  110  is fully disposed by gravity into the upper bore  122 . Depending on the length of the locking member  110  and the depth of the upper bore  122 , the locking member  110  may fall into the upper bore  122  to lie below or at least flush with the surface of the locking unit  120 . Then, the locking member  110  does not interlock or extend any longer into the lower bore  132  of the heel unit  130 , and thereby allowing the heel unit  130  to be slid out relative to shoe  100 . In other words, the locking unit  120  and the heel unit  130  are in an unlocked arrangement so that the heel unit  130  can be slidably removed from the locking unit  120  and replaced. 
         [0042]    In one embodiment, the locking unit  120  may have a thickness varying along a particular direction. As shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the locking unit  120  may have increasing thickness from the front to back of the shoe  100 . Heels and soles of traditional footwear do not have flat surfaces. That is, a sole of traditional footwear may have a slope and a heel has a surface that fits in the slope of the sole. Therefore, the locking unit  120  attachable to the sole  160  of the shoe  100  is needed to be angled to allow the upper surface of the heel unit  130  to fit in the slope of the sole  160 . Otherwise, there would be a gap between the heel unit  130  and the sole  160 . One of the goals is to make a shoe to which the replaceable heel system  150  is applied assumes a traditional appearance. As such, the replaceable heel system  150  is compatible with traditional shoes as well as applicable to a new type of footwear. 
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates one embodiment of the locking member  110 . In this embodiment, the locking member  110  assumes a form similar to a cylindrical pin. In one embodiment the locking member  110  may have a stop  410 . For example, a stop  410  may be formed at the distal end  420  of the locking member  100  and have a nailhead-like or disc shape. 
         [0044]      FIG. 5  illustrates one embodiment of the locking unit  120 . In this embodiment, the locking unit has the upper bore  122 . The upper bore  122  may have a shoulder  411  which allows the stop  410  of the locking member  110  to engage the shoulder when the locking member  110  extends out of the upper bore  122 . The locking unit  120  may have a male beveled sides  530 . The male beveled sides  530  may have a thickness varying along a particular direction, such as the longitudinal direction of locking member  110 , to allow the replaceable heel system  150  attached to the shoe  100  to assume a traditional appearance, as discussed above. The locking unit  120  may have bores  124  through which fastening members such as bolts (not shown) are disposed so that the locking unit  120  is fixed to the sole  160  of the shoe  100 . The width  540  of the locking unit  120  may vary from the front to back. This feature may improve the stability, durability and structural dynamics of the replaceable heel system  150 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 6  illustrates more details about how the stop  410  of the locking member  110  and the shoulder  411  in the upper bore  122  of the locking unit  120  interwork with each other. When the shoe  100  assumes ordinary orientations and the locking member  110  extends out of the upper bore  122  into the lower bore  132 , the stop  410  of the locking member  110  engages the shoulder  411  in the upper bore  122  and thereby retaining the locking member  110  at least in part in the upper bore  122 . With these features of the present invention, the locking member  110  does not completely fall out of the upper bore  122  in the locking unit  120 . That is, the locking member  110  will not fall out even when the heel unit  130  is removed from the locking unit  120  and the shoe  100  is turned downward, As such, the locking member  110  can be prevented from being dropped from the shoe  100  and lost. 
         [0046]      FIG. 7  illustrates one embodiment of the heel unit  130 . In this embodiment, the heel unit  130  has the lower bore  132 . The heel unit  130  may have a female beveled sides  133  which mates with the male beveled sides  530  of the locking unit  120 . The male beveled sides  530  of the locking unit  120  can be slid along the female beveled sides  133  of the heel unit  130 , and vice-versa. The female beveled sides  133  are formed in such a manner that the locking unit  120  is hidden inside the heel unit  130  when the locking member  120  is fully slid into the heel unit  130 . As the male beveled sides  530  of the locking unit  120  may have a thickness varying along a particular direction, the female beveled sides  133  may also have depth varying along a particular direction to allow the replaceable heel system  150  attached to the shoe  100  to take on a traditional appearance. In one embodiment, both the male beveled sides  530  and the mating female beveled sides  133  have a thickness/depth varying along a particular direction. 
         [0047]    Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following embodiments and its various embodiments. 
         [0048]    Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that it should not be taken as limiting the embodiments as defined by the following claim. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the embodiments includes other combinations of fewer, more or different elements, which are disclosed in above even when not initially claimed in such combinations. A teaching that two elements are combined in a claimed combination is further o be understood as also allowing for a claimed combination in which the two elements are not combined with each other, but may be used alone or combined in other combinations. The excision of any disclosed element of the embodiments is explicitly contemplated as within the scope of the embodiments. 
         [0049]    The words used in this specification to describe the various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification structure, material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning, then its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word itself. 
         [0050]    The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are therefore, defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth, but all equivalent structure, material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination. 
         [0051]    Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
         [0052]    The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptionally equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the embodiments.