Patent Publication Number: US-9833095-B2

Title: Boot remover

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/110,684 filed on Feb. 2, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to footwear removal devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to footwear removal devices that utilize pressure from one foot on one side of a lever to remove a foot from a boot secured to the opposing side of the lever. 
     Many individuals utilize functional footwear such as boots for a variety of purposes. A typical characteristic of a boot is that it extends upward from the foot along the lower leg. Boots designed for use in wet climates and other similar types of boots are often bulky and fit snuggly in order to provide a waterproof seal between the wearer&#39;s feet and the boot. Due to the height of the boot and the snug fit, it can be very difficult to remove a boot via conventional means. 
     The removal of boots without assistance often requires considerable strength and dexterity. The wearer is required to bend at the waist to reach the boot for removal, which can be difficult for elderly individuals or for those having a physical impairment. The boot removal process may cause an individual to experience discomfort or pain long after the boot has been removed. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a boot remover that allows users to remove a boot from a standing position without the need for bending at the waist. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of footwear removers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a boot remover wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when removing boots and other types of tight-fitting footwear. The present system comprises a substantially planar base having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side, a second side, a first end and a second end. A preferably cylindrical fulcrum is attached to the lower surface of the base and extends from the first side of the base to the second side of the base. A first boot engaging member comprising a first pair of opposing arms that define a first opening extends from the first end, while a second boot engaging member comprising a second pair of opposing arms that define a second opening extends from the second end. Further, each of the first opening and second opening is configured to accept the heel of a boot therein. 
     One object of the present invention is to provide a boot remover that allows users to remove a boot from a standing position without the bending at the waist. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a boot remover having different sized boot engaging members in order to provide for the removal of different sized boots. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a boot remover having a high-friction material on an upper surface thereof for supporting a user&#39;s foot while the user removes the opposing foot from a boot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
         FIG. 1  shows an overhead perspective view of a boot remover according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the underside of a boot remover according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a boot remover according to the present invention being used by an individual to remove a boot. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the boot remover. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for boot removal. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown an overhead perspective view of a boot remover according to the present invention. The boot remover  11  generally comprises a substantially planar base  12  having a first boot engaging member  13  extending from a first end and a second boot engaging member  14  extending from a second end. The base  12  has an upper surface  15 . In one embodiment of the invention, the upper surface  15  comprises a high-friction material having a coefficient of friction greater than one, such as a grip tape. The high-friction material prevents foot slippage during use. 
     A fulcrum  17  is attached to a lower side of the base  12  and extends between opposing side edges  19  of the base  12 . In one embodiment of the invention, the fulcrum  17  has a cylindrical shape. In some embodiments, the fulcrum  17  is integrally formed with the base  12 . In an alternate embodiment, the fulcrum  17  is secured to the base  12  via one or more fasteners  16  such as a screw, rivet, or the like. In another alternative embodiment, the fulcrum  17  comprises a half-cylinder having semi-circular cross section, wherein the straight portion of the semi-circle contacts a lower surface of the base  12 . 
     The first boot engaging member  13  comprises a first pair of arms  22  that define a first opening  24 . The first opening  24  is configured to accept the heel portion of a boot therein for the purpose of boot removal. The first pair of arms  22  form a U-shape, the inner portion of which contact the sides of a boot and secure it in place within the first opening  24  during removal. Similarly, the second boot engaging member  14  comprises a second pair of arms  20  that define a second opening  25 , which is also configured to accept the heel of a boot therein. Each of the openings  24 ,  25  are further defined by an inner edge  21 ,  23  that contacts the heel of a boot when the boot is placed within the opening  24 ,  25 . Further, each of the first and second pair of arms form a U-shape that tapers inwardly toward a center portion of the base  12 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the first opening  24  and the second opening  25  are sized differently in order to accommodate different sized boots. For example, in one embodiment the distance between the first pair of arms  22  is greater than the distance between the second pair of arms  20 . This allows a wider boot to be placed within the first boot engaging member  13 , while a narrower boot may be removed with the second boot engaging member  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a perspective view of the underside of a boot remover according to the present invention is shown. The boot remover  11  is supported on a ground surface during use by the fulcrum  17 , which is attached to a lower surface  26  of the boot remover  11 . In one embodiment, the fulcrum  17  has opposing planar edges  18  that terminate in the same plane as the opposing side edges  19  of the base  12 . This reduces the overall size of the boot remover  11  and allows it to remain compact. Further, the fulcrum  17  is preferably disposed such that the fulcrum  17  bisects the length of the base  12 . This allows a user to easily balance on the upper surface of the boot remover  11  while it is supported on the ground by the fulcrum  17 , shifting weight between the left and right legs. In this way, the boot remover  11  may also be utilized as a balance improvement tool. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a perspective view of a boot remover according to the present invention being used by an individual to remove a boot. In order for a user to remove a boot  32 , the user places the heel portion of the worn boot  32  into the either the first boot engaging member  14  or the second boot engaging member  13 . The first boot engaging member  14  restrains the boot  32  in place via contact from the arms  20  and the inner edge of the opening  21 , which encircle and contact a heel portion of the boot  32 . The boot  32  has a wider cross section below the portion restrained by the boot engaging members  13 ,  14  so that the boot is held in place via a friction fit between the boot and the boot engaging members  13 ,  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the first boot engaging member  14  is utilized. However, the user may choose to use either the first boot engaging member  13  or the second boot engaging member  14  to remove their boot depending on the size of the boot  32 . 
     After placing the boot within a boot engaging member, the user then places their other foot  31  on the upper surface  15  of the boot remover  11 , such that a portion of the foot  31  covers the second boot engaging member  13 . In this position, the boot remover  11  is supported on the ground by the cylindrical fulcrum  17  and a lower surface of the second boot engaging member  13 . The user then applies downward pressure via their other foot  31  while removing the opposite foot from the boot  32 . The first boot engaging member  14  restrains the boot  32  in place while the user pulls there foot upward out of the boot  32 , while the downward pressure on the upper surface of the base  15  from the user&#39;s other foot  31  prevents the boot remover  11  from moving about during the removal process. In this way, the boot remover  11  may be utilized to provide hands-free removal of a boot  32  from a standing position. 
     It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and 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. 
     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.