Patent Publication Number: US-11389022-B2

Title: Boot jack

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates a boot jack, used to assist a person wearing a boot to remove the boot. 
     Boot jacks have long been known that assist a person wearing a boot to more easily remove the boot. Typically, the person places one foot on a base of the boot jack, places the heel of the other foot, which is wearing the boot to be removed, in a boot grip portion of the boot jack, and retracts the other foot from the boot that is being held by the boot grip portion of the boot jack. 
     SUMMARY 
     A boot jack according to at least some embodiments according to this disclosure is particularly sized and shaped to be able to fit into an empty boot, thus being easily portable and taking up little or no extra space when stored. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boot jack; 
         FIG. 2  is a left side view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 , the right side being a mirror image of the left side; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective cut-away view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 , inserted into a boot for storage. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a boot jack  10  according an embodiment. The boot jack  10  includes a base  102 , an intermediate portion  104 , and a boot grip portion  106 . Holes  1022  may be provided in the base as shown. The holes  1022  may be used, for example, to hang the boot jack  10  on a hook or nail, or on a point-of-sale display board or the like. 
     The intermediate portion  104  may extend substantially perpendicularly relative to the base  102 , as seen in the side view of  FIG. 2 , and the boot grip portion  106  may extend at an angle α relative to a line parallel to the base  102 , as also seen in the side view. The angle α may be in a range of from 0° to 45°, such as any value from 0° to 45°. An angle α of 10°, 11°, 12°, 13, 14°, 15°, 16°, 17°, 18°, 19° or 20° is effective in at least one embodiment. Rounded transitions  108  may be provided between the base  10  and the intermediate portion  104 , and between the intermediate portion  104  and the boot grip portion  106 , as shown in the drawings. The rounded transitions  108  can help avoid stress concentrations that may promote fracturing of the boot jack. The rounded transitions  108  may have a radius in a range of from ⅛″ to 1″, such as any value from ⅛″ to 1″. A radius of the transitions  108  of from ¼″ to ½″, such as about 0.3″ or 0.4″, is effective in at least one embodiment. 
     The base  102  may have a length d 1  in a range of from 3″ to 9″, such as any value from 3″ to 9″. A length d 1  of about 5″ or 6″ is effective in at least one embodiment. The intermediate portion  104  may have a length d 2  in a range of from ½″ to 3″, such as any value from ½″ to 3″. A length d 2  of about 1.25″, 1.5″ or 1.75″ is effective in at least one embodiment. The boot grip portion  106  may have a length d 3  in a range of from 2″ to 6″, such as any value from 2″ to 6″. A length d 3  of about 4.25″, 4.4″, 4.5″, 4.6″ or 4.75″ is effective in at least one embodiment. 
     The base  102 , intermediate portion  104  and the boot grip portion  106  may all have the same thickness t. This may provide an advantage in terms of manufacturing processes and/or costs, because the boot jack  10  can be formed from a single sheet of material of uniform thickness. However, in some embodiments, the base  102 , intermediate portion  104  and the boot grip portion  106  may have different thicknesses. A thickness t of 3/16″ has been shown to be effective when the material is aluminum. Depending on the material and/or other structural considerations, it is expected that a thickness tin a range of from 1/16″ to ¾″ will be acceptable. 
     The various portions of the boot jack  10  may be made of the same material, such as plastic, wood, aluminum or other metal, or a composite material. Alternatively, different portions of the boot jack  10  may be made of different materials, and joined together by known techniques. One such known technique is insert molding, in which, for example, one portion of the boot jack  10  may be made of metal with one or more tangs (not shown) protruding, and the one or more tangs may be positioned in a mold and then plastic material may be injected into the mold so as to surround the one or more tangs, resulting in the plastic and metal parts being joined together when the molten plastic hardens. In the case of a boot jack  10  made of wood, the boot jack  10  may be made from a thin sheet of wood that is steam bent into the final desired shape of the boot jack. Alternatively, the boot jack  10  may be machined directly into its final shape from a thick block of wood. When made from plastic or metal material, the boot jack  10  may, for example, be (i) cut out from a sheet of material, heated if necessary, and then bent into the final desired shape; (ii) cast into the final desired shape using a mold, or (iii) machined directly into its final shape from a thick block of material. It is expected that the method of cutting from a sheet of material, heating if necessary, and bending will provide material and/or cost savings over other methods. 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the boot jack  10 , and  FIG. 4  is a front view of the boot jack of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 5  is a top view of the boot jack  10 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the boot grip portion  106  includes a boot grip contour  1064 , defined between arm portions  1062 , that is shaped to fit, at least approximately, the shape of a heel of a boot. The boot grip contour  1064  has a maximum width dimension d 4  and maximum depth dimension d 5 . Although  FIG. 5  is a plan view, the dimensions d 4  and d 5  extend in a direction parallel to the plane of the boot grip portion  106 . That is, in  FIG. 5 , the dimension d 5 , for example, is viewed in parallax. The dimension d 4  may be in a range of from 2″ to 4″, such as any value from 2″ to 4″. A dimension d 4  of about 3″,  3 . 25 ″ or 3.5″ is effective in at least one embodiment. The dimension d 5  may be in a range of from 2″ to 4″, such as any value from 2″ to 4″. A dimension d 5  of about 3″, 3.25 or 3.5″ is effective in at least one embodiment. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the boot jack  10  may have a maximum width d 6 , as seen in plan view, at a distal end of the boot grip portion  106 , that is, at an end of the boot grip portion  106  opposite the end attached to the intermediate portion  104 . The boot jack  10  may have a minimum width d 7 , as seen in plan view, at a distal end of the base  102 , that is, at an end of the base  102  opposite the end attached to the intermediate portion  104 . Thus, the boot jack  10  may have an overall tapered shape in plan view, as shown in  FIG. 5 . The maximum width d 6  may be a range of from 3″ to 6″, such as any value from 3″ to 6″. A maximum width d 6  of about 4.5″, 4.6″, 4.7″ 4.8″, 4.9″, 5″, 5.1″, 5.2″ or 5.3″ is effective in at least one embodiment. The minimum width d 7  may be a range of from 1.5″ to 5″, such as any value from 1.5″ to 5″. A minimum width d 7  of about 2.7″, 2.8″, 2.9″, 3″, 3.1″, 3.2″, 3.3″ or 3.4″ is effective in at least one embodiment. The boot jack  10  may have an overall length d 8  in a range of from 6″ to 12″, such as any value from 6″ to 12″. An overall length d 8  of about 9″, 9.5″, 10″, 10.5″, 11″ or 11.5″ is effective in at least one embodiment. 
     With such overall dimensions, the boot jack  10  can fit inside a boot B, as shown in  FIG. 7 , and thus can be conveniently stowed when packing a pair of boots for travel, for example, or at other times when the boots are not being worn. For example, the overall tapered shape has the minimum width at the distal end of the base  102  to allow easy fitting into the boot, and the maximum width at the distal end of the boot grip portion  106  to allow ample space for the boot grip contour  1064 . 
     The boot grip portion  106  and the base  102  may be sized and shaped such that the base  102  lies flat on the floor under its own weight, when placed on the floor. 
     In use, the boot jack  10  is placed on the floor with the base  102  parallel to the floor. A person wearing a boot may place one foot on the base  102 , place the other foot, wearing the boot to be removed, such that the heel of the boot fits against and is held by the boot grip contour  1064 , and pull that foot out of the boot, while the boot is held by the boot grip contour  1064 . For storage, the boot jack  10  may be inserted into the boot, with the narrower end of the boot jack (i.e., the end having the dimension d 7  described above) being inserted first into the boot. 
     An advantage of the depicted embodiment, compared with some other boot jacks, is that the “holding” foot, i.e., the foot that is placed on the base  102 , can remain generally parallel to the floor and close to the floor while the boot is being removed from the other foot. In this context, “holding foot being generally parallel” means that the front part of the holding foot, or of a boot or other footwear that the holding foot is wearing, is raised from the floor no more than the thickness of the base portion, while the heel of the holding foot, or of a boot or other footwear that the holding foot is wearing, is in contact with the floor (or is also raised. from the floor no more than the thickness of the base portion, if the base portion is long enough to be contacted by the heel). This can help the person removing the boot be more stable and comfortable while removing the boot. 
     The boot jack  10  can be made very light in weight, and in addition to being able to fit into a boot, can also easily fit into a suitcase or other luggage item. Specifically, when the boot jack  10  is structured as depicted in the drawings, it can easily fit between clothing or other items in the suitcase or other luggage item. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments described above, these embodiments should be viewed as illustrative and not limiting. Various changes, substitutes, improvements or the like are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention.