Abstract:
Provided is an automated shoe closure including a sole and a plurality of motors disposed in the sole. The motors are configured to expand or contract one or more shoe panels. The shoe panels each include one or more connectors configured to connect the shoe panels to each other when the shoe panels are in an expanded state. A plurality of slits are disposed in the sole. Each of the slits is configured to expand and contract a corresponding shoe panel therethrough. An expansion button is disposed in the sole. A retraction button is disposed in a side of the sole, and a charging port is disposed in the sole.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/276,250, filed May 13, 2014, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/823,294, filed May 14, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a shoe or other footwear with an automated closure mechanism which is activated without the use of the user&#39;s hands by activating the closure mechanism through an interaction between the user&#39;s foot and the sole of the shoe or footwear. The disclosed shoe and automatic closure mechanism operates through a series of motors which manipulate retractable leather, textile or other material making up said shoe. The material making up the shoe can be rolled up or otherwise retracted into the sole of the shoe, thus allowing a user to easily put on or take off the shoe without bending down to reach the height of the user&#39;s feet. 
         [0003]    The disclosed shoe and automatic shoe closure mechanism has particular application for types of shoes that are inherently difficult to attach to a user&#39;s foot, such as formal leather shoes with rigid sides and narrow laces. Additionally, the disclosed shoe and automatic closure mechanism has application to user&#39;s who lack the motor skills required to attach a shoe to a foot, in particular, children, the elderly and individuals who have suffered injuries or illness causing immobilization or a lack of motor skills in their hands, legs, feet or back. Further, the disclosed shoe and automatic closure mechanism can particularly assist individuals with limited mobility by preventing injuries from occurring by utilizing hands-free operation of the automatic closure mechanism described herein. 
       DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
       [0004]    There are a wide variety of standard attachment mechanisms for uses in different styles of shoes and other footwear. For example, laces, Velcro, leather straps, metal straps, hooks, and the like. Attempts have been made in the past to create automatic closure mechanisms for footwear with limited success, including automatic lace tightening systems and the like. However, none of the existing shoe closure mechanisms allow a user to effortlessly place their feet into the appropriate locations of the top of a sole of the shoe or footwear and automatically attach said footwear automatically without any involvement of the user&#39;s hands. 
         [0005]    There exists a need for an automatic shoe closure system that allows a user to both properly place their foot in a shoe and attach the shoe to the user&#39;s foot securely and then later remove the same shoe without the use of the user&#39;s hands. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a shoe and automatic shoe closure mechanism which allows a user to both place a shoe about their foot and securely attach and later remove said shoe in a hands-free format. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Various illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to the drawings, wherein: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing the underside of the sole of footwear and the relative locations of motors, panels, buttons and charging port; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing retraction and expansion slits for footwear panels and footwear panels in both partially and fully expanded positions; and a fully assembled shoe. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a bottom view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing the underside of the sole of footwear and the relative locations of motors, panels, buttons and charging port. 
         [0011]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear is shown with a bottom perspective of shoe  100 .  FIG. 1  shows footwear sole  200 , two side footwear fabric panels  201  and  202  with exemplary cutouts/contours, rear footwear fabric panel  203  with exemplary cutouts/contours, connectors  301  and  302 ,  303 ,  304 ,  305  and  306 , lateral motors  401  and  402 , rear motor  403 , center expansion activation button  501 , lateral retraction activation button  502  and charging port  503 . 
         [0012]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , side panels  201  and  202  and rear panel  203  may expand outward by being unwound by motors  401 ,  402  and  403 , respectively. Panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may include any material of appropriate durability to be made into footwear; such as leather, cotton, nylon or the like. Panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may be shaped and dimensioned such that they can be associated with motors  401 ,  402  and  403  by being wrapped around motors  401 ,  402  and  403 . Panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may be shaped and dimensioned with appropriate cutouts and contours such that panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may fit together to form the outer and inner layer of a shoe or footwear that can be worn about a user&#39;s foot upon complete expansion from sole  200 . 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may be cylindrical in shape, such that they can be attached to panels  201 ,  202  and  203  for winding and unwinding of panels  201 ,  202  and  203 . Motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may operate by rotating in a first direction to retract panels  201 ,  202  and  203  into sole  200  by wrapping panels  201 ,  202  and  203  around motors  401 ,  402  and  403 , respectively. Motors  401 ,  402  and  403  further operate by rotating in a second direction opposite to the first direction to expand panels  201 ,  202  and  203  by unwrapping panels  201 ,  202  and  203  from motors  401 ,  402  and  403 , respectively. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , activation button  501  is may be activated upon being depressed by pressure applied by the bottom of the user&#39;s foot. Upon the pressing down of button  501 , motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may be activated simultaneously. Motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may, upon activation, fully and automatically rotate to expand panels  201 ,  202  and  203  completely out of the sole of the shoe. Upon complete expansion, panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may automatically connect to each other to form a complete shoe that becomes securely fastened to a user&#39;s foot upon connection of panels  201 ,  202  and  203  to each other. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , upon complete expansion from sole  200 , panel  201  may be automatically connected to panel  202  by the connection of connector  301  to connector  302 . Additionally, panel  201  may be automatically connected to panel  203  by the connection of connector  303  to connector  304 . Panel  202  may be automatically connected to panel  203  by the connection of connector  306  to connection  305 . 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in shoe  100  connector panels  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 ,  305  and  306  may be magnets which automatically connect connector  301  with connector  301 ; connector  303  with connector  304  and connector  306  with  305 . The magnets may have sufficient magnetic strength to secure panels  201 ,  202  and  203  about a user&#39;s foot to allow for safe walking and mobility. However, connectors  301 ,  302 ,  303 ,  304 ,  305  and  306  could be any type of connector which can automatically secure panels  201 ,  202  and  203  about a user&#39;s foot to allow for safe walking and mobility; such as hooks, clasps, Velcro, electromagnets, reusable adhesives, or the like, which can be used alone or in combination with magnets or similar devices. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , shoe  100  can be removed in both a manual and hands-free format. Panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may be completely retracted into sole  200  by being wound up around motors  401 ,  402  and  403  through the rotation of motors  401 ,  402  and  403  in a direction opposite to the direction used to expand panels  201 ,  202  and  203 . Motors  401 ,  402  and  403  are activated in the direction to wind up panels  201 ,  202  and  203  through one of a plurality of mechanisms. One such mechanism is by depressing retraction button  502 . Retraction button  502 , shown in  FIG. 1 , may rests in a recessed pocket on one side of sole  200 . Retraction button  502  may be placed anywhere around sole  200 . The recessed pocket housing retraction button  502  may be sufficiently deep such that retraction button  502  will not be unintentionally depressed without deliberate intent on the part of the user. Retraction button  502  is sufficiently accessible, such that it can be activated by being depressed by the user&#39;s finger. However, retraction button  502  could also be operated in a hands-free format be deliberately pressing the user&#39;s shoe against a surface or object with a protrusion that is shaped and dimensioned to reach button  502  within its recessed pocket. 
         [0018]    The winding up of panels  201 ,  202  and  203  around motors  401 ,  402  and  403  to retract the panels into sole  200 , may additionally operate to automatically disconnect panels  201 ,  202  and  203  from each other. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , another method for removing shoe  100  by activating motors  401 ,  402  and  403  in the direction to wind up panels  201 ,  202  and  203  is through the use of a Smartphone software application which communicates with a wireless receiver positioned in sole  200 . This embodiment facilitates hands-free removal of the shoe  100  by the user activating motors  401 ,  402  and  403  from a Smartphone handset, which wirelessly communicates with Shoe  100 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , another method for removing shoe  100  by activating motors  401 ,  402  and  403  in the direction to wind up panels  201 ,  202  and  203  is through the use of a remote control. This embodiment facilitates hands-free removal of the shoe  100  by the user activating motors  401 ,  402  and  403  from the remote control, which wirelessly communicates with Shoe  100 . The remote control may be sufficiently small that the user could carry it with them at all times in a pocket or about their person. The remote control may be mounted on a wall or near an entranceway to a home, or in another location where a user frequently puts on or removes footwear. 
         [0021]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may each be powered by one or more batteries which is/are contained within sole  200 . 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , the battery or batteries used to power motors  401 ,  402  and  403  are charged by connecting a power supply through port  503 . 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , one embodiment of an article of footwear is shown with a perspective view of shoe  100  showing a view of panels  201 ,  202  and  203  partially extracted from sole  200  and another view of panels  201 ,  202  and  203  connected to each other to create an exemplary embodiment of an assembled item of footwear. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention showing retraction and expansion slits for footwear panels and footwear panels in both partially and fully expanded positions; and a fully assembled shoe. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , shoe  100  is additionally show with slits  201   a ,  202   a  and  203   a  visible in sole  200 . Slits  201   a ,  202   a  and  203   a  may allow panels  201 ,  202  and  203  to fully retract inside sole  200  through the rotation of motors  401 ,  402  and  403 . 
         [0026]    While slits  201   a ,  202   a  and  203   a  are shown in the sides of sole  200 , similar slits may alternatively be placed on the top, outer edge of sole  200 , such that panels  201 ,  202  and  203  would expand in an upward direction our of the sole  200 . For example, the positioning of the slits  201   a ,  202   a  and  203   a  on the top of the sole  200  may prevent dirt, mud and other similar debris from entering the sole of the shoe. Alternatively, similarly slits could be placed at any desired angle with respect to sole  200  to guide panels  201 ,  202  and  203  in a desired direction upon expansion/unwinding out of sole  200 . Such alternative slits may be desirable based on the use of different fabric compositions for panels  201 ,  202  and  203 . 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , shoe  100  with panels  201 ,  202  and  203  fully retracted into sole  200 , a shoe can be placed about a user&#39;s foot without the use of the user&#39;s hands by the user positioning their foot in the appropriate position with respect to sole  200  and stepping down onto expansion button  501 . Upon pressing button  501 , panels  201 ,  202  and  203  may fully expand from within sole  200  and automatically connect and associate with each other to snuggly fit around the user&#39;s foot. A user can then walk about in a normal fashion. 
         [0028]    When a user desires to remove shoe  100  in a hands-free format, the user can re-activate motors  401 ,  402  and  403  to disconnect panels  201 ,  202  and  203  from each other and retract panels  201 ,  202  and  203  back into sole  200 . Re-activation of motors  401 ,  402  and  403  may be accomplished through the use of the Smartphone application or a remote control which wirelessly communicates with motors  401 ,  402  and  403 . Alternatively, button  502  can be depressed in either a hands-free or manual format to similarly re-activate motors  401 ,  402  and  403 . 
         [0029]    From the foregoing and with reference to the drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain modifications can also be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the scope of the same. Therefore, the above descriptions should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments.