Patent Publication Number: US-2007094891-A1

Title: Ventilated shoe

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Most shoes are inherently poor regarding foot ventilation. Proper foot support typically negates ventilation. Various shoe designs have been utilized in efforts to alleviate this problem. Some even involve systems and devices for pumping air around the foot. Air flow is most needed in the toe region, as this is the area of shoes which sees the least ventilation possibilities. The present invention uses a person&#39;s foot movement to pump air for ventilating the forward area of a user&#39;s feet.  
     Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to ventilated shoes and more specifically to a ventilated shoe that uses both the top of the foot and the foot&#39;s heel strike to ventilate a shoe.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The general purpose of the ventilated shoe, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a ventilated shoe which has many novel features that result in an improved ventilated shoe which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof.  
      To accomplish this, the invention comprises a ventilated shoe comprising a flexible sole and shoe upper with a tongue. The invention can be employed in almost any kind of shoe. An air bladder is positioned in the sole heel. Another air bladder is disposed in the tongue. Each bladder is provided with an air intake. The air intake for the heel bladder is preferably in the upper area of the shoe&#39;s upper heel. The air intake for the tongue bladder is preferably at the top of the tongue. A one-way check valve is disposed between each air intake and its respective bladder, providing for air flow into each bladder but not back out the intake. A one-way check valve is also disposed between each bladder and each set of discharge vents in the toe area. The one-way check valves allow for air to be transferred from the bladder to the discharge vents but not to return to the bladder. A plurality of discharge vents is provided in the bottom area of the tongue, to ventilate the toes area of a user. A plurality of discharge vents is provided in the toe area of the sole for the same purpose. When a user&#39;s heel is off of a contact surface, expansion of the heel bladder causes air intake of the heel bladder. When a user&#39;s heel contacts a surface, the heel bladder is compressed and thereby transfers air to the discharge vents of the sole, thereby aerating a user&#39;s foot.  
      When the user lifts a foot, the front top of the foot pushes against the tongue bladder, providing for the bladder to compress to transfer air to the tongue discharge vents. When the user&#39;s heel contacts a surface, the front of the foot does not pressure the tongue bladder, thereby providing for bladder expansion and air intake through the tongue bladder intake.  
      Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the ventilated shoe so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.  
      Numerous objects, features and advantages of the ventilated shoe will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, examples of the ventilated shoe when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current examples of the ventilated shoe in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustration. The invention is capable of other examples and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for purposes of description and should not be regarded as limiting.  
      Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the ventilated shoe.  
      It is therefore important that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.  
      Objects of the ventilated shoe, along with various novel features that characterize the invention are particularly pointed out in the claims forming a part of this disclosure. For better understanding of the ventilated shoe, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, refer to the accompanying drawings and description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention worn by a user.  
       FIG. 2  is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention in use, showing the heel bladder filling with air and the tongue bladder discharging air through the tongue discharge vents.  
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view and partial cross sectional view of the invention in use, showing the heel bladder discharging air through the sole discharge vents and the tongue bladder filling with air through the tongue air intake and check valve.  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the sole containing the sole bladder and air passage to the sole discharge vents.  
       FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the tongue bladder and tongue discharge vents. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, example of the ventilated shoe employing the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , the invention  10  comprises a flexible sole  16  with a shoe upper  14  affixed to the sole  16 . The tongue  12  is disposed typically in the shoe upper  14 . The air heel bladder  24  is disposed in the heel of the sole  16 . An air intake  26  communicates with the heel bladder  24 . The heel bladder intake  26  is disposed upwardly in an upper heel portion of the shoe upper  14 . A one-way check valve  22  is disposed between the air intake  26  and the heel bladder  24 , whereby air is drawn into the heel bladder  24  but cannot pass back to the air intake  26 . A plurality of discharge vents  30  is disposed in a toe area of the sole  16  ( FIG. 4 ).  
      The vents  30  communicate with the heel bladder  24  via the air passage  28 . A one-way check valve  22  is disposed between the sole  16 vdischarge vents  30  and the heel bladder  24 , whereby air passes out of the heel bladder  24  to the sole  16  discharge vents  30  but cannot pass back from the sole  16  discharge vents  30  to the heel bladder  24 . Pressure on the heel of the sole  16  forces air out of the heel bladder  24  and out of the discharge vents  30  of the sole  16 . An air tongue  12  bladder  24  is disposed in the tongue  12  ( FIG. 5 ). An air intake  26  disposed at the top of the tongue  12  communicates with the tongue bladder  24 . A plurality of air discharge vents  30  is disposed in a toe area of the tongue  12 . The discharge vents  30  communicate with the tongue bladder  24 , whereby pressure from an upper area of a user&#39;s foot  60  against the tongue  12  causes air to be pushed from the tongue  12  bladder  24  and out of the tongue  12  discharge vents  30 . A one-way check valve  22  is disposed between the air intake  26  and the tongue  12  bladder  24 , whereby air is drawn into the tongue  12  bladder  24  but cannot pass back to the air intake  26 . A one-way check valve  22  is disposed between the tongue  12  discharge vents  30  and the tongue  12  bladder  24 , whereby air passes out of the tongue  12  bladder  24  to the tongue  12  discharge vents  30  but cannot pass back from the tongue  12  discharge vents  30  to the tongue  12  bladder  24 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 2 , the user&#39;s heel is off of the contact surface. The elevated heel of the invention  10  provides for the heel bladder  24  to fill via the air intake  26 , through the one-way check valve  22 . The one-way check valve  22  between the heel bladder  24  and the air passage  28  prevents air from flowing from the discharge vents  30  of the sole  16  into the heel bladder  24 .  
      The pressure of the upper foot  60  of the user causes the tongue  12  bladder  24  to force air through the lower tongue  12  check valve  22  and out of the tongue  12  discharge vents  30 .  
      Referring to  FIG. 3 , the heel strike of the invention  10  causes the heel bladder  24  to force air through the one-way check valve  22  into the air passage  28 . Air thereby flows to and out of the discharge vents  30 . The one-way check valve  22  between the air intake  26  of the heel bladder  24  prevents air from exiting the heel bladder  24  through the air intake  26 . The lack of foot  60  pressure on the tongue  12  causes the tongue bladder  24  to fill via the air intake  26  and the one-way check valve  22 . The alternate motions of heel strike versus forefoot strike thereby ventilates a user&#39;s foot  60 .  
      With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the ventilated shoe, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.  
      Directional terms such as “front”, “back”, “in”, “out”, “downward”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may have been used in the description. These terms are applicable to the examples shown and described in conjunction with the drawings.  
      These terms are merely used for the purpose of description in connection with the drawings and do not necessarily apply to the position in which the present invention may be used.  
      Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.