Patent Publication Number: US-2020275727-A1

Title: Footwear devices

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present technology relates to a footwear device and, more particularly but not exclusively, to a device for repairing footwear. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Increasing awareness of environmental concerns has led many users in many societies to reuse and recycle goods with more enthusiasm. 
     Items of footwear can be expensive in addition or the alternative, and are prone to significant damage in standard or sports use. For example, in many situations footwear may become scuffed, worn or torn at or around the sole or toecap. 
     Consequently many users may wish to repair their footwear. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the present technology, a footwear device is provided. The footwear device body may comprise one or more strips or sheets of material. The footwear device has an outerside and a footwear contact underside. The material may comprise resiliently deformable material. An adhesive may be disposed on the footwear contact underside. 
     By providing adhesive on a resiliently deformable sheet of material of the footwear device, the footwear device is easily shaped on and applied to patch over a tear or other damage on the footwear. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following detailed description aspects of the present technology will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present technology, there are shown in the drawings embodiments, which are presently preferred. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows a plan view of an embodiment of the device according to the present technology; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the device of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  show diagrammatic views of the footwear device according to another embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  shows an isometric detail view of the outer side of the footwear device according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  shows a side view of a footwear device according to another embodiment of the present technology; 
         FIG. 7  shows an underside view of the footwear device of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  shows a front outer side perspective view taken from above of the footwear device of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 9  shows an under side perspective view take from below of the footwear device in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 10  shows a front outer side perspective view taken from above of the footwear device of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 11  shows a front outer side perspective view of a footwear device according to another embodiment of the present technology; 
         FIG. 12  shows an underside perspective view of the footwear of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  shows a side view of a footwear device according to yet another embodiment of the present technology; 
         FIG. 14  shows a front outerside perspective view taken from above of the device of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  shows a top plan view of the footwear device of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16  shows an underside perspective view taken from below the device of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIGS. 17 and 18  show a plan and an perspective view, respectively, of a footwear device according yet another embodiment of the present technology; 
         FIGS. 19 and 20  show a plan and a perspective view, respectively, of a footwear device according to yet another embodiment of the present technology; and 
         FIGS. 21 to 23  show perspective views of respective embodiments of the footwear device in use on variant footwear. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth, such as particular embodiments, procedures, techniques, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present technology. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present technology may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. 
     Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. The words “right,” “left,” “top,” and “bottom” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “a” and “one,” as used in the claims and in the corresponding portions of the specification, are defined as including one or more of the referenced item unless specifically stated otherwise. This terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. The phrase “at least one” followed by a list of two or more items, such as “A, B, or C,” means any individual one of A, B or C as well as any combination thereof. Furthermore, one or more features in the drawings may not be drawn to scale or may be omitted with a view to clarifying features. For example, the adhesive backing layer and protective layer of  FIG. 2  are shown having a thickness that may not be to scale. 
     Technical features described in this application can be used to construct various embodiments of a footwear device. In one approach, the footwear device has a body comprising one or more strips or sheets of material. The footwear device has an outerside and a footwear contact underside. The one or more strips or sheets of material are resiliently deformable material and an adhesive is disposed on the footwear contact underside. 
     In some embodiments, the footwear contact underside or face is smooth, so as to advantageously provide a smooth surface for adhesion. In other embodiments, the body is indented on either face wherein the contact underside comprises indentations for enhanced or reduced adhesion, and so as to advantageously improve adhesion in relation to subordinate textured surfaces. 
     In this way the device may be arranged for adherence to an article of footwear. Advantageously this allows a user to patch over a tear or other damage on the footwear. 
     In some embodiments, the outer side comprises raised and lowered parts and/or topical colouring. For example, in this way the raised and lowered parts may provide an interesting or aesthetically pleasing appearance, so as to provide greater desirability and/or higher chances for footwear-combining. 
     In some embodiments, the device comprises an outer side arranged to allow deformation of the body. 
     For example, in some embodiments the outer side may be perforated so as to provide indentations or perforations in the body. The indentations may be in the outer line of the device, or may be in the body so as to approximate the faces or sides. 
     In this way the body may be allowed to deform. For example, the indentations or perforations may cause lines or points of weakness in the device, so as to permit easy shaping of the body around the footwear, and/or increase elasticity locally. 
     In some embodiments, the body is shaped in relation to usage, for example wherein a plurality of devices are available with a plurality of differing indentations in form. 
     In some embodiments, form indentations or perforations allow for increased deformation in the device. Such perforations in some embodiments comprise slots in the outer sides and body so as to allow overlapping of the device. Such indentations may for example comprise extending arms or wings from a main body, so as to allow bracing or wrapping. 
     In some embodiments, the indentations provide raised and lowered parts in the body, such that the body comprises a plurality of different depths of material. In this way advantageously the body is provided with predetermined lines or points of weakness, and is consequently better enabled to fold effectively at these lines or points. In this way the device may be formed to suit particular zones of an article of footwear, for example wherein toe cap devices may comprise an indented form and/or lines of weakness so as to permit the device to be minimised and/or overlapped when folding about or around the toe cap. 
     In some embodiments, indentations may provide a regularised or standardised pattern of indentation across the device, so as to allow for increased deformation in a plurality of directions. For example, in some embodiments the pattern may comprise a repeating pattern or template of incisions or indentations. 
     The device may be a monolithic part, wherein the faces are comprised by surfaces of the body. In some embodiments, the device is formed in resiliently deformable material. In some embodiments, this material is elastic, advantageously so as to increase conformability to the footwear, and/or increase likelihood of adhesion. In other embodiments the material may be substantially inelastic, advantageously such that no reverse pressure or force is placed on any adhesive material, such that the adhesive is not strained. 
     In some embodiments, the body has internal variation, for example wherein in some embodiments the body is thickened or strengthened in some areas and thinned or minimised in others. For example, in some embodiments the body comprises a plurality of materials and/or structures. In some embodiments, the body includes local reinforcement, and/or an internal skeleton. 
     For example in some embodiments, the body includes lines of weakness and/or preformed fold lines. In this way such embodiments are enabled to form a substantially rigid shell or independent structure, which structure may limit ingress or further damage to damaged footwear. 
     In some embodiments, the device is planar and of a substantially triangular form, wherein the triangular form has radiused corners. In this way the device may be utilised in a plurality of locations on an article of footwear, and provide a plurality of potential shapes, wherein each corner provides an extending spur for usage. The body is secured to the shoe with the hypotenuse of the triangle or one side of the tear drop shape extending generally fore and aft of the sole and with the thicker side of the shape adjacent an edge of the sole. 
     In order further to describe the aforementioned and other embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompany drawings.  FIGS. 1 and 2  show an embodiment of the footwear device. Footwear device  15  has a body comprising a strip or sheet of resiliently deformable material having an underside  7  for contacting the outerside of footwear. The resiliently deformable material is rubber but may be other materials in some other embodiments. Some non-limiting examples of footwear  100 ,  110  and  120  are shown in  FIGS. 21 to 23 . In some embodiments, the footwear is a shoe. 
     In the footwear device embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the sheet is a planar sheet of die cut natural rubber sheet 35-45 durometer with a contact underside  7 . In some other embodiments, the die cut natural rubber sheet has a durometer great or less than 35-45. Disposed on and covering underside  7  is an adhesive layer  8 , such as 3M® VHB 4932 tape or other adhesive material with similar properties, for example a firm, double-sided, pressure-sensitive, closed-cell acrylic foam tape. In this embodiment the adhesive layer is made from an adhesive that has bonding properties sufficient to permanently adhere the footwear contact underside to the footwear to which it is to be applied. 
     A protective backing layer  9  is releaseably disposed on adhesive layer  8  to protect adhesive layer  8  when footwear device  15  is being handled or stored prior to application to footwear  100 ,  110  and/or  120 . Preparatory to applying footwear device  15  to the footwear, backing layer  9  may be peeled away from the adhesive layer  8  (see for example  FIG. 2 ), or in some other way removed from adhesive layer  8 , to expose the adhesive ready for permanently bonding footwear device  15  to the footwear. Note that this adhesive layer  8  and optional backing layer  9  may be adopted in conjunction with any or all of the other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures. 
     In some embodiments, as for example shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in its undeformed or unstretched state, the footwear material strip is shaped substantially in the form of a planar triangle. In some embodiments, the triangle is a reuleaux triangle, wherein like a circle, it has constant width, no matter how it is oriented. In addition or the alternative, the triangle provides three extending portions which permit greater variance in use. 
     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the shape of footwear device  15  comprises a flattened isosceles triangle with a long straight base  2  opposite a curved apex, which apex joins two substantially equal arcuate sides  1  and which sides join the straight base at curved corners  4 . The curved apexes or corners  4 , arcuate convex sides  1  and long straight base  2  together with the resilient deformable material enables footwear device  15  to be easily applied to the footwear and to easily cover patches on the side of the footwear whilst allowing the footwear device to stretch thereby complimenting the footwear form. This particular triangle shape of the footwear device in its unstretched state also performs well at patching the front toe since it doesn&#39;t completely wrap the toe box and the straight base allows the footwear device to be applied with the long straight base extending laterally along the bottom portion of the footwear upper and even the sole of the footwear, as necessary. The shape furthermore reduces the need for separate side and front pieces as the device may be applied to wherever there is a hole or wear. 
     In some other embodiments, the long base may be a slightly arcuate or convex shape.  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate footwear device  18  which is similar to device  15  but having such a curved long base according to one embodiment. In some other embodiments the device may be circular. 
     In some embodiments, footwear device outerside  6  includes patterning of indentations  10 .  FIG. 5  illustrates footwear device  19  which is similar to footwear device  18  but with outer side  6  having isometric patterning of indentation lines  10  describing repeating rhombi. Surface patterns help the device wrap around complex curves of footwear and the isometric grid pattern improves wrap of the device around the front toe; wherein the isometric pattern advantageously allows for deformation in a plurality of directions and locations, across a large number of intersecting axes, wherein the triangular indentation lines echo and subdivide the overall device shape. 
     The indentation may comprise small perforations in some further embodiments. The indentation is in the outer face solely, such that a smooth contact underside is provided for an adhesive layer. The indentations are formed by indented lines of repeated interlocking triangular forms. 
     In some other embodiments, the strip or sheet material of the footwear device is shaped to form a truncated cap or truncated box which is nestable with the toe box portion and optionally the sole portion of the shoe or other footwear. The truncated cap is the form of cup or cap which is truncated along a generally central axis extending from the cap mouth to the cap bottom. In some embodiments, the footwear truncated cap in its unstretched state has a form reassembling the outer profile of the nose of the shoe to which is to be applied. In other embodiments, the footwear truncated cap in its unstretched state is conical, hemispherical, or otherwise curved or stepped shaped in form and resiliently deformable upon application to enable the footwear device shape to further modify closer to the actual outer profile of the nose of the shoe or other footwear to which the footwear is to be applied. 
     By way of example,  FIGS. 6 to 10 , illustrate one embodiment of footwear device  60  in which resiliently deformable material is shaped into a truncated cap comprising a generally hemispherical shape. The sheet material has a wide open mouth portion  69  at one end and a narrower closed or substantially closed nose portion  68  at the other end. A tongue portion  63  inclines general upwardly and rearwardly away from an intermediate region of the nose portion  68  and forms part of mouth portion  69 . Wings or arms  64 , 65  extend convexly and rearwardly from the base of nose portion  68  in an uninclined manner either side of tongue portion  63 . Open spaces or perforations  66  are located between tongue  63  and wings  64 , 65 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 6 to 10 , the arrangement of footwear device  60  resembles a splayed and hemispherical domed fan, which fan comprising three extending portions, that is, tongue portion  63 , wing portions  64 , 65 , with perforation  66  there between, such that the portions may be overlapped around a footwear toe cap for example. The overlapable portions may comprise the two wings  64 , 65  and the top tongue  63  splayed towards the wings. The wings extend so as to form a semi-circle in plan, so as to extend to the sides of the toe-cap. The tongue extends backwards over the toe cap in use. 
     In some embodiments, perforation  66  between the extending portions is splayed, wherein the wings minimise as they extend rearwards; so as further to improve malleability. In addition the portions are preformed with curvature, so as to advantageously provide some supporting structure for reinforcement of the toe cap of the footwear. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , in some other embodiments, the footwear device  50  comprises a splayed planar fan, which fan substantially comprises a semi-circle, subdivided by three extending portions  53 , 54 , 55 , with perforation therebetween, such that the portions may be overlapped around a footwear&#39;s toe cap for example. The fan comprises a curved base, which base is arranged in use against a seam or sole, wherein the curve will be straightened in use. 
     The perforations and device edge comprise chamfering, so as to aid in overlapping and limit frayed or damaged edges over use. Footwear device  50  includes two open-ended slot perforations  56  between three extending portions. 
     These perforations are arranged such that the portions are substantially equidistant and are open-ended, but have a closed end that is enlarged  57 . In this way the portions are free to mutually rearrange or overlap at the open ends, and enabled with easier movement at the closed ends by the enlarged space for movement, wherein the perforations extend radially over half a radius. 
     In yet another embodiments of the footwear device of  FIGS. 13 to 16 , footwear device  20  comprises a substantially predefined form, which form echoes the toecap of footwear. The outer side  6  comprises a top  23  and base  21 . The top comprises raised and lowered parts, so as to provide aesthetic aiding texture. 
     The base comprises a smooth or glossy finish elongated strip around the lowermost edge of the top; wherein the finish is not liable to collect dirt. The base and the top comprise orthogonal straight lines, wherein two corners  22  are radiused. In some embodiments, the footwear  20  is formed in two halves having a seam  24  therebetween. Alternatively, footwear  20  is a single unitary piece of material. 
     In one or more of the aforementioned embodiments, the footwear bodies are made from die-cut TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) or silicone and are used with a urethane adhesive on the undersides  7 . TPE is a material typically used in soles and can come in a variety of densities and flexibilities. Die cutting the device from a flat sheet material allows creation of a wide variety of different sizes and shapes with minimal tooling investment. 
     With reference to footwear shaped as a truncated cap or cup, such as footwear  60  and  20 , in some embodiments, a molded TPE form is adopted to allow for a greater variety of 3D geometry and potential of a better fit to common footwear shapes. Using a molding process can create a better fit for common footwear shapes, but upfront tooling cost may increase the price and make changing the design an expensive investment. 
     In some embodiments, textures can be molded into the outer side  6  giving the device visual interest. This could be achieved by either injection or compression molding. In some embodiments, beads or textures  121  (see for example  FIG. 23 ) may be embedded in the outer side  6 . 
       FIGS. 17 and 18  show a footwear device  70  according to yet another embodiment. Footwear device  70  comprises an offset teardrop, wherein the base  74  comprises a gentle curve for interacting with the sole, a short side edge  73  leading to an apex  72 , and a third long side  71  formed by a multi-arc curvature. In this way, this embodiment may provide a useful option for repairing or strengthening asymmetric parts of the footwear. 
       FIGS. 18 and 19  show a footwear device  80  according to yet another embodiment. Footwear device  80  comprises a side patch, for example for use to one side of an item of footwear. The embodiments comprises a substantially trapezoid form, with rounded corners and a curved base  81  and top edge  82 , such that the base is liable to follow a sole in use and the two side edges  83  and corners  84  are identical. 
     The invention has been described by way of examples only and it will be appreciated that variation may be made to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the scope of invention. It will be understood that any features described in relation to any particular embodiment may be featured in combinations with other embodiments. 
     It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but is intended to cover all modifications which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims; the above description; and/or shown in the attached drawings.