Patent Publication Number: US-10786034-B2

Title: Footwear having memory foam

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This disclosure relates to footwear having memory foam. Memory foam is typically positioned under the foot in footwear to provide cushioning that contours to unique features of individual feet. The footwear described herein provides memory foam positioned in the sides and/or top of the footwear, instead of just under the foot, to deliver the contouring and cushioning benefit of the memory foam to the sides and/or top of the foot. 
     While a variety of footwear have been made and used, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor(s) has made or used an invention as described herein. 
     SUMMARY 
     Footwear includes memory foam positioned on the top portion and/or sides of the footwear to deliver cushioning to non-load bearing areas of a user&#39;s foot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       While the specification concludes with claims which particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is believed the present invention will be better understood from the following description of certain examples taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify the same elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a top perspective view of an embodiment of footwear having memory foam. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a top plan view of the footwear of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  depicts a bottom plan view of the footwear of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  depicts a cross-sectional view of the footwear of  FIG. 1 , taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     The drawings are not intended to be limiting in any way, and it is contemplated that various embodiments of the invention may be carried out in a variety of other ways, including those not necessarily depicted in the drawings. The accompanying drawings, incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description of certain examples of the invention should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. Other examples, features, aspects, embodiments, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different and obvious aspects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
     “Footwear” as used herein, means a device worn on a user&#39;s foot, for example, a shoe. Non-limiting examples of footwear may be a slipper, a sport shoe, a sandal, a boot, a dress shoe, etc. 
     It has been known to include memory foam in the insole, or bottom portion, of footwear. Memory foam is well-known in the art and is typically made from a viscoelastic polyurethane foam and is configured to mold to a body in response to heat and pressure. This allows the memory foam to provide cushioning that contours to unique features of individual feet. Such memory foam is also known in mattresses and pillows. It may further be desirable to provide such cushioning on the top and/or side portions of the footwear. 
     Accordingly, the footwear described herein includes memory foam positioned on the top portion and/or sides of the footwear to deliver cushioning to non-load bearing areas of a user&#39;s foot. The memory foam is softened by body heat to allow the memory foam to contour downward and/or horizontally into the upper and/or side contours of a user&#39;s foot. This three-dimensional contouring of the memory foam creates a unique comfort and cradling effect for the user&#39;s foot. While memory foam has been used as trim along the collar of footwear, such trim is insufficient to provide the three-dimensional contour for a unique comfort and cradling effect. Further, in some instances, the memory foam positioned underneath a user&#39;s foot has a low compression resistance such that it is prone to collapse at pressure points (e.g., the heel of a foot, the ball of a foot, etc.). This may reduce the cushioning capacity of the memory foam in these areas. By providing memory foam on the top portion and/or sides of the footwear, the three-dimensional contour and enhanced cushioning effect delivered to a user&#39;s foot reduces the negative impact of the low compression resistance or collapse of the memory foam under the foot. Accordingly, the enhanced cushioning feeling provided to the non-load bearing areas of the foot, such as the top and/or sides of the foot, offsets the feeling of loss of cushioning underneath the foot. An embodiment of footwear providing this three-dimensional contour is described below. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates footwear ( 10 ) as a slipper having a top portion ( 14 ) and a bottom portion ( 12 ) connected by sides ( 15 ) and back portion ( 17 ). An opening ( 16 ) is formed between the top portion ( 14 ) and the back portion ( 17 ), in which a user can insert his foot into the footwear. It should be noted that back portion ( 17 ) is merely optional such that the opening ( 16 ) is formed between the top portion ( 14 ) and sides ( 15 ). As best seen in  FIG. 4 , top portion ( 14 ), sides ( 15 ), back portion ( 17 ), and bottom portion ( 12 ) each contain memory foam ( 20 ). The memory foam ( 20 ) is sensitive to pressure and temperature. For instance, the memory foam ( 20 ) softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a user&#39;s foot. The memory foam ( 20 ) can have a density of between about 40 and about 60 kg/m 2 . The memory foam ( 20 ) can be supplied by Hyda, in Guanzhou, China. 
     By positioning the memory foam ( 20 ) in any one or more of the sides ( 15 ), back portion ( 17 ), and top portion ( 14 ) of footwear ( 10 ), instead of just in the bottom portion ( 12 ), the footwear ( 10 ) is able to deliver the contouring and cushioning benefit of the memory foam ( 20 ) to the top portion and/or the sides of the foot, rather than simply under the foot. This use of memory foam ( 20 ) on any one or more of the top portion ( 14 ), back portion ( 17 ), and sides ( 15 ) of footwear ( 10 ) delivers three-dimensional contouring in non load-bearing areas of the foot to enhance the cushioning effect of the memory foam ( 20 ). For instance, the memory foam ( 20 ) on the top portion ( 14 ), back portion ( 17 ), and sides ( 15 ) of footwear ( 10 ) is softened by body heat, allowing the memory foam ( 20 ) to contour downward into the upper and side contours or crevices of the foot, which creates a comforting, cradling effect. This three-dimensional contouring is a unique use of the contouring benefit of memory foam ( 20 ), creating compression comfort, in addition to cushioning and contouring comfort. With compression comfort, compression is transferred to the foot itself to create this comfort. 
       FIG. 4  shows the top portion ( 14 ), the back portion ( 17 ), and each side ( 15 ) comprising a layer of memory foam ( 20 ), and the bottom portion ( 12 ) comprising two layers of memory foam ( 20 ) such that the bottom portion ( 12 ) is thicker than the top portion ( 14 ) and sides ( 15 ). Any other suitable configurations for the thickness and/or layers of memory foam ( 20 ) can be used. Further, the memory foam ( 20 ) can be positioned in a select one of the top portion ( 14 ), the back portion ( 17 ), sides ( 15 ), or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the back portion ( 17 ) is omitted such that the opening ( 16 ) is formed between the top portion ( 14 ) and sides ( 15 ). In some other embodiments, footwear ( 10 ) comprises an opening in the front portion of the footwear ( 10 ) such that the footwear ( 10 ) is open-toed. Other suitable configurations for footwear ( 10 ) will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. 
     Fabric ( 22 ) is then positioned around the memory foam ( 20 ). This fabric ( 22 ) can include a knitted or woven material that provides a sufficient amount of stretch to accommodate the movement of the user&#39;s foot and the memory foam. For instance, when a user inserts his foot into footwear ( 10 ), the fabric ( 22 ) may stretch outwardly in response to the user&#39;s foot. This may place the fabric ( 22 ) under tension to thereby exert pressure on the memory foam ( 20 ) to allow the memory foam ( 20 ) to mold to the user&#39;s foot. The stretch of the fabric ( 22 ) may also allow for footwear ( 10 ) to accommodate additional size and/or width ranges of individual user&#39;s feet. For instance, when the fabric ( 22 ) is stretched outwardly to thereby exert pressure on the memory foam ( 20 ), the three-dimensional contouring of the memory foam allows for a better fit to a user. This fit can, for example, eliminate the need for half sizes of the footwear ( 10 ). Still other suitable configurations for fabric ( 22 ) will be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Footwear ( 10 ) may further include a sole ( 18 ) positioned on the bottom of bottom portion ( 12 ). The sole ( 18 ) may comprise rubber or any other suitable material. 
     Having shown and described various embodiments of the present invention, further adaptations of the methods and systems described herein may be accomplished by appropriate modifications by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Several of such potential modifications have been mentioned, and others will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For instance, the examples, embodiments, geometries, materials, dimensions, ratios, steps, and the like discussed above are illustrative and are not required. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be considered in terms of the following claims and is understood not to be limited to the details of structure and operation shown and described in the specification and drawings.