Abstract:
A shoe heel protector includes a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates generally to a guard for the heel of a shoe. In particular, the present invention relates to a workboot with a protective material wrapped around the heel of the boot and integrated therein.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Historically, heel protection devices have been developed to maintain the appearance of shoes against damage or scuffing (e.g., a person driving a vehicle for a living) or to assist patients after foot surgery with protecting the heel against strike or reducing weight bearing from the heel of the foot.  
         [0005]     In this regard, the devices that have been developed to maintain the appearance of shoes have primarily comprised a wrap around band of material that is removably applied to a shoe while driving. Other devices include a U-shaped frame that removably supports the heel of a shoe. All of these devices generally include a removable piece of material that is not integrated into the shoe, wherein the material is not configured to continually support the heel of a foot.  
         [0006]     Other devices that have been developed to protect the heel of a foot after surgery generally include post-operative surgical shoes with tapered wedges that distribute weight away from the heel of the foot. These shoes are designed for temporary use and are not constructed to withstand being used on a daily basis over a prolonged period of time. Therefore, the heel protection devices included in these surgical shoes are often not well-integrated into the layers of the sole&#39;s of the shoes and provide only minimal protection against heel strike.  
         [0007]     What is needed, therefore, is a heel protection device that withstands prolonged use and provides significant support for the heel of the foot by integrating the support into the other layers of the shoe or boot (e.g., the insole, etc.).  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe heel protector including a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.  
         [0009]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shoe heel protector including a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion. The semi-rigid middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and is permanently attached to the shoe along a bottom edge of the middle portion. The first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion and includes at least one aperture formed therein. The first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion and includes at least one aperture formed therein. The second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe. The aperture formed in the first side portion and the formed in the second side portion each align with a corresponding eyelet on the front of the shoe.  
         [0010]     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe heel protector including a semi-rigid middle portion, wherein the middle portion substantially covers a rear heel portion of a shoe and a bottom edge of the middle portion is secured to a welt in the shoe. A first side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the first side portion partially covers a first side of the shoe. The second side portion is integrally formed with the middle portion, and the second side portion partially covers a second side of the shoe.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     A clear understanding of the various advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the construction and operation of conventional components and mechanisms associated with the present invention, will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary, and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the following drawings which accompany and form a part of this patent specification.  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of a workboot with a heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the heel protection device and the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of a workboot with a heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a planar view of the heel protection device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1  with laces in the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 1  without laces in the workboot according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 3  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 1  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a workboot  10  includes a semi-rigid symmetrical heel protector  12  that wraps around a top assembly  14  of boot  10 . Protector  12  is integrated into the other material layers that comprise boot  10 .  
         [0022]     In addition to top assembly  14 , boot  10  further includes a boot shell  16 , a sole assembly  18 , and a lace assembly  20 . Lace assembly  20  includes conventional lace eyelets  22 , a boot lace  24 , and a boot tongue  26 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, boot shell (upper)  16  and top assembly  14  are constructed with high-quality leather, and in order to reduce manufacturing costs, protector  12  forms part of shell  16  because leather is not placed underneath protector  12 . Alternatively, protector  12  is placed over the leather of shell  16  and secured with standard techniques well-known by one of ordinary skill in the art (e.g., adhesive bonding, stitching, etc.).  
         [0023]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1-2 , protector  12  is stitched into sole assembly  18  along line  28 . Protector  12  includes a first pair of apertures  30  and a second pair of apertures  32 . Apertures  30 ,  32  align with eyelets  22  of boot  10  and are held in place by lace  24 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, protector  12  is constructed from a semi-rigid material that includes a bottom portion  34 , a middle portion  36  and a top portion  38 . A series of ridges  40  are integrally formed with middle portion  36 .  
         [0024]     Turning to  FIG. 3 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a bottom edge  42  along protector  12  is secured in place by stitching or stapling through edge  42  to secure protector  12  to all of the additional layers of material that comprise boot  10 .  
         [0025]     For example, a series of stitches or staples  44  secure edge  42  of protector  12  to at least boot shell  16 . Stitches  44  may additionally secure edge  42  to other layers of boot  10  comprising sole assembly  18 , including an insole  46  and a midsole  48 .  
       Welted Construction  
       [0026]     As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , boot  10  is preferably manufactured with a welted sole. A welted sole is constructed by stitching a piece of leather to the shoe upper lining and insole. This allows a foot to flex and permits the shoe to be resoled.  
         [0027]     In the late Nineteenth century, a process for constructing footwear was developed by Charles Goodyear. “Goodyear welting” is a method of welting that is well-known by one of ordinary skill in the art and includes stitching on the bottom of the sole.  
         [0028]     Goodyear welting is generally a long and expensive process whereby sole of boot  10  is stitched to a strip of leather (a “welt”) which in turn is stitched to the upper part of the shoe and the inner sole. This process ensures strength, resistance to the elements, flexibility and comfort.  
         [0029]     As illustrated in the figures, the final boot  10  that is welted includes the outsole, the midsole, the upper and the insole all stitched together through a leather welt.  
         [0030]     The general process of welting includes the following steps:  
         [0031]     1. The leather insole is trimmed to meet the requirements of the shoe being constructed.  
         [0032]     2. A channel is hand carved on the insole for the stitch to travel through.  
         [0033]     3. The upper of the shoe or boot is “pulled over” and tacked down in place in preparation for welting.  
         [0034]     4. Using an Awl, a channel is punched through the insole, the upper and the welt to allow for the stitch to be threaded.  
         [0035]     5. Using a curved needle, the stitch is pulled through and locked.  
         [0036]     6. Steps  4  and  5  are repeated until the entire shoe or boot is stitched.  
         [0037]     At this point, there are different additional steps that may be applied. A fine light dress shoe would have a light sole bonded to the welt and a leather or cork filler and then sewn to the welt. Alternatively, a midsole will be bonded to the welt and filler and then sewn to the welt. Thereafter, an outsole can be either bonded to the midsole without stitching or can be stitched to the welt as well. The style of footwear chosen will dictate which technique is applied.  
       General Manufacturing of Footwear  
       [0038]     There are typically four main departments connected with manufacturing within a footwear company and the components follow a progressive route through each of these departments to produce the finished shoes. The departments including: Clicking, Closing, Lasting/Making, Finishing/Shoe Room.  
         [0039]     CLICKING/CUTTING: In this department, upper  14  of shoe  10  is manufactured. The clicking operative is issued with a number of skins of leather, mostly from cows, although leather can be made from almost all animal skins and with the use of metal strip knives, various shaped pieces are cut out that will eventually make up the upper. Leather will have varying amounts of flaws on the surface such as barbed wire scratches and these flaws need to be avoided, so that they are not used for the upper pieces.  
         [0040]     CLOSING/MACHINING: In this department, the component pieces of shoe  10  are sewn together by highly skilled machinists to produce the completed upper. In the early stages, the pieces are sewn together on what are called flat machines. In the latter stages, the upper becomes three-dimensional and the machine used is called a post machine. This is where the sewing surface of the machine is elevated on a post to enable the operative to sew the three dimensional upper. Various edge treatments to the leather are also completed to produce a more attractive look to the finished upper. The eyelets are also inserted at this stage to accommodate the laces in the finished shoes.  
         [0041]     LASTING/MAKING: The completed uppers are now molded into a foot shape using a last. A last is typically a plastic shape that simulates the foot shape which, when removed from the finished shoe, can be used continually to produce more shoes. The first operation is to attach the insole to the bottom of the last, but this is only a temporary attachment to allow the last to be removed at the end of the process.  
         [0042]     In a Goodyear welted shoe, the insole has a rib attached to its under edge. The upper is stretched and molded over the last and attached to the insole rib. When this is completed, the product is now a “lasted shoe”.  
         [0043]     The strip of leather (or alternatively plastic)—the welt—is sewn onto the shoe through the rib and upper and all the surplus material is trimmed off the seam. The sole is then attached to the welt and the two are stitched together. Thereafter, the heel is attached which completes the “making” of boot  10 .  
         [0044]     FINISHING/SHOEROOM: At this stage, it depends on which materials have been used for the welt and sole to determine how it will be finished. In the case of a leather welt, the sole edge and heel are trimmed and buffed to give them a smooth finish. They are then stained, polished and waxed to give them an attractive finish and to ensure the edge is waterproof. The bottom of the sole is often lightly buffed, stained and polished and various types of patterns are marked on the surface to give it a craft finished look. Now boot  10  is “finished” and the uppers are shoeroomed.  
         [0045]     In general, an internal sock is fitted into shoe which can be full, half or quarter and these will usually have the manufacturers&#39; details or a brand name if applicable. Again, depending on the materials used for the uppers, boot  10  is cleaned, polished and sprayed, plus laces and tags are attached (such as shoe care instructions).  
         [0046]     Boots  10  then go on to be boxed and packaged ready for dispatching to the customer.  
         [0047]     In welted boot  10 ,  FIG. 4  illustrated a plan view of support  12  including upper portion  38 , middle portion  36  and bottom portion  34 . Aligned with the heel, semi-rigid upper portion  38  forms a convex portion  46  to fully support the heel. Apertures  30  and  32  further secure support  12  to upper assembly  14 .  
         [0048]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 6-7 , protector  12  is further secured to boot  10  with lace  22  inserted through eyelet  22  and aperture  30 . When lace  22  is not pulled through eyelet  22  and aperture  30  ( FIG. 7 ), protector  12  is not held adjacent to boot shell  16 .  
         [0049]      FIGS. 8-9  further illustrate the welted construction described above in relation to boot  10 . In particular, a welt  50  that is approximately 60 cm long, 2 cm wide and 3 mm thick is stitched to insole  46  and midsole  48  using a first stitch  52 , and welt  50  is also stitched to an outsole  54  using a second stitch  56 . A filler layer  58  manufactured from polyurethane or EVA foam is cemented to outsole  56 . Outsole  56  is manufactured from a carbon rubber compound.  
         [0050]     The scope of the application is not to be limited by the description of the preferred embodiments described above, but is to be limited solely by the scope of the claims that follow. For example, instead of boot  10  being manufactured as a welted boot, boot  10  may be constructed primarily by cementing or stapling the portions of sole assembly  18  together without the use of a welt or boot  10  may be constructed primarily by cementing or stapling portions of the sole assembly directing to the welt (without stitching the sole to the welt) without departing from the scope of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.