Patent Publication Number: US-10321740-B2

Title: Shoe tree

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the invention 
     The present invention relates to a shoe tree, and more particularly, to a shoe tree with a front section and a rear section which is pivotably connected to the front section so as to maintain the shoe shape. 
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The conventional way for maintaining the shoes with their proper shapes is to stuff paper, foam material, bubble sheets, plastic shoe trees or paper-made shoe trees in the shoes. The stuff supports the vamps of the shoes and prevents the vamps from being deformed. However, the paper-made or plastic made shoe trees are not able to be reused for a long time, and the plastic-made shoe trees may cause environment concerns. The paper-made shoe trees are not strong enough so that when inserting the paper-made shoe trees, the shoe trees are often deformed or flatted, and the deformed shoe trees cannot well support the shoes. The front portion of the paper-made shoe trees is required to be snugly inserted into the shoes, and the rear portion of the shoe trees may not easily to be inserted into the shoes, and this cause the rear portion to be severely deformed. When removing the paper-made shoe tree from the shoe, the users have to grasp the rear portion hard to pull it out from the shoe. This is inconvenient for the users. 
     The present invention intends to provide a shoe tree that improves the shortcomings mentioned above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a shoe tree and comprises a front section and a rear section which is pivotably connected to the rear end of the front section. The front section has a vamp portion on the top thereof. A first flange extends downward from the front section. A first recessed area is defined in the underside of the front section and partially enclosed by the first flange. A first support face is formed on the top of the rear end of the front section. A first opening is defined between two end faces of the first flange in the rear end of the underside of the front section and communicates with the first recessed area. 
     The rear section has the first end thereof pivotably connected to the first support face at the rear end of the front section. A second flange extends downward from the rear section. Two notches are defined between the two end faces of the first flange and two end faces of the second flange. The two notches are located at a connection portion between the first and second flanges. The rear section has a second support face formed on the top thereof and connected to the first support face. A curved portion is formed at the second end of the rear section. 
     When applying a force to the rear section to insert the front section into the interior room of a shoe, and the rear section is then pivoted downward relative to the front section to narrow the two notches so that the rear section is inserted into the interior room of the shoe. The curved portion guides the rear section to be accommodated in rear end of the interior room of the shoe. 
     When lifting and pivoting the rear section, the two notches are widened, and the curved portion is removed from the shoe. The rear section and the front section are able to be pulled out from the interior room of the shoe in sequence. 
     Preferably, the second support face has a hole defined therethrough. A second recessed area is defined in the underside of the rear section and partially enclosed by the second flange. The hole communicates with the second recessed area which communicates with the first recessed area and the first opening. 
     Preferably, a lower edge of the second flange of the rear section extends upward and toward the second end of the of the rear section, so as to define a second opening in the second end of the underside of the rear section. 
     Preferably, a minimum distance defined between second support face to a lower edge of the curved portion is smaller than a maximum distance defined between the second support face to a lower edge of the second flange. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a shoe tree which allows the user to hold the rear section to guide and control the front section to be inserted into the shoe easily. The first support face reinforces the support force of the front section. The rear section is then pivoted downward and inserted into the shoe. When the rear section is to be inserted into the shoe, the rear section is pivoted downward to narrow the two notches, and the rear section pushes the end faces of the first flange of the front section to further insert the front section into the interior room of the shoe to protect the front end of the shoe from being deformed. The curved portion of the second section makes the second section to be easily fit with the shoe. 
     When the shoe tree is to be removed from the shoe, the user&#39;s finger extends through the hole and pulls and lifts the rear section from the shoe. The user then holds the rear section to pull the front section out from the shoe. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view to show the shoe tree of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view to show the shoe tree of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows that the rear section is pivoted relative to the front section; 
         FIG. 4  shows that the front section is inserted into the shoe; 
         FIG. 5  shows that the rear section is inserted into the shoe, and 
         FIG. 6  shows that the user pulls the shoe tree out from the shoe. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , the shoe tree of the present invention comprises a front section  2  and a rear section  3  which is pivotably connected to the rear end of the front section  2 . The front section  2  has a vamp portion  21  on the top thereof. A first flange extends downward from the front section  2 . A first recessed area  22  is defined in the underside of the front section  2  and partially enclosed by the first flange. A first support face  23  is formed on the top of the rear end of the front section  2 . A first opening  24  is defined between two end faces of the first flange in the rear end of the underside of the front section  2  and communicates with the first recessed area  22 . 
     The rear section  3  has the first end thereof pivotably connected to the first support face  23  at the rear end of the front section  2 . A second flange extends downward from the rear section. Two notches  31  are defined between the two end faces of the first flange and two end faces of the second flange. The two notches  31  are located at a connection portion between the first and second flanges. The rear section  3  has a second support face  32  formed on the top thereof and connected to the first support face  23 . The second support face  32  has a hole  321  defined therethrough. A second recessed area  322  is defined in the underside of the rear section  3  and partially enclosed by the second flange. The hole  321  communicates with the second recessed area  322  which communicates with the first recessed area  22  and the first opening  24 . A curved portion  30  is formed at the second end of the rear section  3 . 
     The lower edge of the second flange of the rear section  3  extends upward and toward the second end of the of the rear section  3 , so as to define a second opening  33  in the second end of the underside of the rear section  3 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , a corner portion  331  is formed at the position where the lower edge of the second flange of the rear section  3  starts to extend upward and toward the second end of the of the rear section  3 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , the front section  2  is inserted into the interior room  11  of a shoe  10  when applying a force to the rear section  3 , and the rear section  3  is then pivoted downward relative to the front section  2  to narrow the two notches  31  so that the rear section  3  is inserted into the interior room  11  of the shoe  10 . During the insertion process, the rear section  3  pushes the end faces of the first flange of the front section  2  to further insert the front section  2  into the interior room  11  of the shoe  10  to protect the front end of the shoe  10  from being deformed. The curved portion  30  guides the rear section  3  to be accommodated in rear end of the interior room  11  of the shoe  10 . 
     When lifting and pivoting the rear section  3  with the user&#39;s finger being inserted into the hole  321 , the rear section  3  is pivoted upward relative to the front section  2 , and the two notches  31  are widened. Therefore, the rear section  3  and the front section  2  are able to be pulled out from the interior room  11  of the shoe  10  in sequence. The curved portion  30  helps the rear section  3  to be easily removed from the shoe  1 . 
     It is noted that corner portions  331  formed on the second flange of the rear section  3  are curved corner portions  331  which are cooperated with the second opening  33  to make the rear section  3  to be quickly and easily separated from the shoe  10  without being interfered by the counter or quarter located around the insertion hole of the shoe. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the minimum distance “d” defined between second support face  32  to the lower edge of the curved portion  30  is smaller than the maximum distance “D” defined between the second support face  32  to the lower edge of the second flange. The maximum distance “D” is larger than the minimum distance “d” makes that the rear section  3  be easily inserted into and removed from the insertion hole of the shoe  10 . 
     The present invention can be made by recycled paper or another suitable material. 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.