SHOE WITH BIMODAL HEEL COUNTER AND ACTIVATING ELEMENTS FOR RAPID ENTRY AND RELEASE

Abstract

A bimodal shoe having a bimodal structure, the bimodal structure configured to selectively snap to at least one of a second position and a first position. The bimodal structure is a bendable structure that selectively snaps into the first position upon being subjected to a first bending force, and that selectively snaps into the second position upon being subjected to a second bending force, where the first bending force has an opposite direction to the second bending force. A downward force applied to a heel counter of the bimodal shoe while holding portions of the shoe forward from the bimodal structure stationary causes the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position. A flared sole element and connecting vertical rear arms improve functionality.

Claims

1. A shoe, comprising: a sole structure; an upper, structure having an opening for inserting of a wearer's foot; a morphable heel counter for surrounding the heel of a wearer's foot and a forefoot enclosing element; wherein the opening expands to a first opening at a first position when the upper portion of the heel counter is positioned rearwardly relative to a rear of the sole, and contracts to a second opening at a second position when the upper portion of the heel counter is positioned forwardly relative to the rear of the sole, the first opening is larger than the second opening to facilitate entry and removal of the wearer's foot; and wherein the heel counter includes a bimodal element, forming a bimodal structure, shaped as a hollow half ellipsoid, or portion thereof, manufactured of a flexible material and of a thickness as to permit a manufactured state with a forwardly convex configuration in the longitudinal direction of the sole structure when in a first position and an rearwardly concave configuration in the longitudinal direction of the sole structure when in a second position; and wherein the bimodal structure is at rest in the first and second positions; and wherein the curved circumferential portion of the bimodal structure is under greater stored tension between the first and second positions so that upon applying pressure to the medial curved portion when the bimodal structure is in the first position will cause it to snap into the second position to secure the foot within the shoe; and wherein the curved circumferential portion of the bimodal structure is under greater stored tension between the first and second positions so that upon applying pressure to the medial curved portion of the bimodal structure when in the second position will cause it to snap into the first position to permit placing or removal of a foot.

2. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the bimodal structure has a lever device at the upper portion of the heel counter, angled to provide a platform to cause downward and rearward pressure to the top of the bimodal structure; a heel tab.

3. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the sole structure includes a rear, raised, back sole structure centrally positioned, rising vertically behind a separated curved section of the bimodal structure; a flared sole element.

4. The shoe of claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the heel collar includes two side bands as part of the shoe opening, positioned forwardly curved to present a smaller opening when the shoe is in a first or second position, and positioned more outwardly curved to present a larger opening when the shoe is in a first or second position.

5. The shoe of claim 1, wherein dual, collapsible rear arms with rearward facing notches are positioned at the rear of the shoe, connecting the top face of the flared sole element with the tab at the top portion of the heel counter.

6. The shoe of claim 1, wherein components of flexible material traverse from a narrower portion of the shoe to a wider portion of the shoe.

7. The shoe of claim 6, the foot insertion opening comprising flexible material connecting the heel counter and the forefoot enclosing element, constructed of a material that has greater stored tension in one position and less in another position, acquiring and releasing tension in conjunction with the change in shape of the bimodal structure at and between the first and second positions.

8. The shoe of claim 6, the wall of the shoe comprising flexible materials connecting the heel counter and the forefoot enclosing element, constructed of a material that has greater stored tension in one position and less in another position, acquiring and releasing tension in conjunction with the change in shape of the bimodal structure at and between the first and second positions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views:

[0054] FIG. 1 presents a side view of an exemplary bimodal shoe including a bimodal spherical structure at heel counter of the bimodal shoe, where the shoe is being donned, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0055] FIG. 2 presents a side view of the exemplary bimodal shoe of FIG. 4A, where the shoe has been donned, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0056] FIG. 3 presents a bimodal spherical structure separated from a heel counter of the bimodal shoe, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0057] FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of a bimodal structure that is attachable to both a heel counter and a sole of a shoe, having arms that separate when moving between a first and second position, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0058] FIG. 5 presents a perspective view of a bimodal shoe, where a bimodal structure extends from a sole of the shoe into a heel counter of the shoe, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0059] FIG. 6 presents a perspective view of a bimodal shoe having a back sole that rises upwards behind the heel counter, the back sole being configured to convert downward pressure on the back sole into focused pressure at the single pressure point that activates a bimodal structure, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0060] FIG. 7 presents a perspective view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of a back sole that rises upwards behind the heel counter, the back sole being configured to convert downward pressure on the back sole into focused pressure at the single pressure point that activates a bimodal structure, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0061] FIG. 8 presents a rear view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element, including a heel tab.

[0062] FIG. 9 presents a side view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element.

[0063] FIG. 10 presents a rear view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element, with added dual rear arms.

[0064] FIG. 11 presents a side view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element, with added dual rear arms.

[0065] FIG. 12 presents a perspective view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element, with added dual rear arms.

[0066] FIG. 13 presents a top view of a bimodal shoe having an alternative embodiment of an activating back sole element, with added dual rear arms.

[0067] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION

[0068] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word exemplary or illustrative means serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any implementation described herein as exemplary or illustrative is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms upper, lower, left, rear, right, front, vertical, horizontal, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the bimodal heel counter as oriented in FIG. 1, and the general location of fastening elements on an article of footwear in which the heel is located at the rear portion, the toe hold is to the front, the top is to higher elevated portions of the upper, and the sole is at the lower section, regardless of perspective. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0069] Disclosed is a bimodal heel counter device with dependent fastening elements that are implemented in a variety of footwear design embodiments, defined as a shoe device or other similar foot device that can incorporate the benefits of the devices defined in the present teachings, including but not restricted to footwear devices as found with shoes, boots, sandals, clogs, skis, snowboards, skates, skateboards, aquatic flippers, jet ski foot securement areas, paddle boards foot securement areas, bicycle foot enclosing devices, or other similar footwear with heel counters that require fastening and release of a foot, herein and hereafter referred to as footwear device or article of footwear or shoe.

[0070] As shown throughout the figures, disclosed is a bimodal shoe 100. The bimodal shoe 100 may include a bimodal structure 102. The bimodal structure 102 may be configured to selectively snap to a first position 104 and a second position 106. As shown in FIGS. 1-5, The bimodal structure 102 may take any appropriate form such as a hollow hemisphere hollow half-ellipse or similar shapes all of varying scalings.

[0071] The bimodal structure may be an added element to the shoe or may be incorporated into the structure of the shoe itself. The bimodal structure may span between both a heel counter and a sole of a shoe. For example, FIG. 4, 7 presents a perspective view of a bimodal structure that is attachable to both a heel counter and a sole of a shoe, having side bands 162 that separate when moving between a first and second position. It is to be understood, that the bimodal shoe 100 may be embodied as a sandal or any appropriate footwear.

[0072] An opening 108 of the bimodal shoe 100 may open, expand, or separate, in response to the bimodal structure 102 snapping into the first position 104 starting from the second position 106. The opening 108 may close, contract, or come together in response to the bimodal structure 102 snapping into the second position 106 starting from the first position 104. Therefore, causing the bimodal structure 102 to snap into the first position 104 may cause the opening 108 of the bimodal shoe 100 to change for receiving a foot 302 in the bimodal shoe 100. Further, causing the bimodal structure 102 to snap into the second position 100 may cause an opening 108 of the bimodal shoe 100 to change (e.g. become smaller) for securing a foot 302 already received in the bimodal shoe 100.

[0073] It is understood that numerous parts of the shoe 160, such as the shoe wall, sole, heel counter, top lines, quarter panel, tongue, midsole, or stitch seam made of material with or without flexible properties, will be deformed, pushed, pulled, tightened, stretched, constricted or otherwise change structure depending on the different states 104 or 106, and said shoe structures will aid in the securing or removal of the shoe to the foot 302, with the possible addition of strings, laces, straps, loops, belts, elastics, ribs, ropes, and other forms, and these variations of construction do not represent a unique utility, nor represent a distinction from the basic functionally derived from the bimodal shoe as described in this disclosure.

[0074] A wearer may press their foot 302 applying downward pressure into the bimodal shoe 100 when the bimodal structure 102 is in the first position 104 to cause the bimodal structure 102 to adopt or snap into the second position 106 and secure the wearer's foot 302 in the shoe by causing the opening 108 to secure the wearer's foot (e.g. grip the foot or ankle), hands-free.

[0075] The illustrations show various ways the opening responds to various configurations of the bimodal structure adopting the second position 106 and the first position 104. For example, the opening 108 may expand backwardly with respect to a front of the bimodal shoe 100. Likewise downward pressure causing the bimodal structure 102 to snap into the first position 104 may cause a heel counter 110 of the bimodal shoe 100 to pivot downward. As shown in FIG. 1, causing the bimodal structure 102 to snap into the first position 104 may cause a heel counter 110 to deform. Therefore, to deform the opening 108, the heel counter 110 may pivot from or near a vicinity of the bimodal structure 102, or alternatively the heel counter 110 may deform, depending on where the bimodal structure 102 is located. It is to be understood that the bimodal structure could be configured to snap (e.g. to be held by its own structural properties) into only one of the first or second positions.

[0076] In embodiments where the bimodal structure 102 is located to cause the heel counter 110 to deform; as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 7-13, the bimodal structure 102 may extend from or near the sole 114 to the upper portion 116 of the heel counter 110. The back portion of the rear heel collar may form a tab 161 connected to the top of the heel counter, which may be separated from the sole as to enable an upward or downward deformation when the bimodal structure is activated.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 1-5, 7-13, the bimodal structure 102 may be semi-spherical, generally spherical, hemi-spherical, or partially spherical, in at least one of the second position 106 and the first position 104. For example, the spherical bimodal structure 102 may snap into the second position 106 and the first position 104 according to a transverse displacement of a central portion of the spherical bimodal structure 102 relative to ends of the bimodal structure 102.

[0078] As shown in FIGS. 2, 5-13, the sole 114 may extend externally up to the middle portion 116 of the heel counter 110, forming back flared heel area 188 or back sole 141 that rises upwards behind the heel counter, converting downward pressure on the back tab or shape into focused pressure to the singular pressure point that can activate the bimodal structure 102. A pressure point of the bimodal structure may be a point which displaces past a threshold distance with respect to edges or ends of the bimodal structure to cause the bimodal structure to snap into at least one of the first and second positions for donning or doffing the shoe, respectively. Such a pressure point may also be referred to as a trigger point or displacement point or inversion point. The pressure point may be a point of the bimodal structure that has a maximum displacement moving between the first and second positions.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 1, a downward force on the upper portion 116 of the heel counter or heel tab 110 may cause the bimodal structure 102 to curve inwardly toward a front of the bimodal shoe, causing the bimodal structure 102 to adapt the first position 104. As shown in FIGS. 7-13, the bimodal structure 102 may also extend out of the heel forming the back heel tab itself.

[0080] As an example, the bimodal structure 102 may be curved in at least one of the second position 106 and the first position 104. Therefore, the bimodal structure 102 may be concave in at least one of the second position 106 and the first position 104. In another example, the bimodal structure 102 may be concave in one of the second position 106 and first position 104, and convex in another (e.g. opposite) one of the second position 106 and first position 104. The bimodal structure 102 may be configured such that the bimodal structure 102 has a higher elastic potential energy stored as a result of being deformed to one of the second position 106 and the first position 104, and has a lower elastic potential energy in-between the second position 106 and the first position 104.

[0081] In other words, the bimodal structure is a bendable structure that selectively snaps into the first position upon being subjected to a first bending force or displacement (e.g. at a pressure point), and that selectively snaps into the second position upon being subjected to a second bending force or displacement (e.g. at a pressure point), where the first bending force or displacement has an opposite direction to the second bending force or displacement. Therefore, in the second position 106 and first position 104 the bimodal structure 102 may be selectively locked into a stable and tensioned first or second position, while still holding its higher elastic potential energy. This configuration allows a user to overcome a threshold tension held by the bimodal structure 102 in the first or second positions to cause the bimodal structure 102 to move and subsequently selectively lock and snap into an opposite first or second position.

[0082] For example, a user may simply press their foot into the shoe to snap the bimodal structure into the second position, and use their other foot to apply a downward lever-like force on a heel of the shoe while the shoe is already donned to cause the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position and/or snap into the first position (e.g. see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0083] For example, the bimodal structure is configured such that a net downward force applied to a heel counter of the bimodal shoe while the user's foot is received in the bimodal shoe, and while the user applies an upward force using a top of their foot by raising their heel and keeping the ball of their foot planted, causes the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position. Therefore, a net downward force (or displacement of) on the heel counter with respect forward, or other, portions of the shoe snaps the shoe out of the second position. In other words, holding frontal portions (or portions in front of a pivot point, or pressure point) of the shoe in place while applying a downward force on the heel causes the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position. A downward force applied to a heel counter of the bimodal shoe while holding portions of the shoe forward from the bimodal structure and away from the heel counter stationary causes the bimodal structure to snap out of the second position and into the first position. This allows the bimodal shoe to be doffed hands-free by snapping out of the second position.

[0084] As shown in FIGS. 7-13, the bimodal structure 102 is formed a part of a morphable and pivotable heel counter, formed of flexible material in the general shape of a hollow half ellipsoid, sized as to anatomically correctly envelope the back of a user's heel. The heel counter is detached from the sole to the rear, and affixed or formed as part of the sole to the front. Tab 161 is affixed to the top of the heel counter. The flared rear sole portion 188 is positioned with the upper region in contact with the apex of the hollow half ellipsoid.

[0085] As shown in FIGS. 10-13, in an alternative embodiment, optional, rear dual arms attach the flare sole element 188 to the tab 161. Arms 202 are a curved structure, with a rearward facing middle notch of oppositely size and topical curvature as the top face of the flared heel sole 188. Arms 202 are affixed to tab 161 at contact point 201, and affixed to the sole element 188 at contact point 203. The notch is placed as to facilitate a rearward collapsing ability, which likewise presents a forward thrusting shape, contacting the rear facing apex of the hollow half ellipsoid of the bimodal structure. In other words, as the heel tab is pushed downward, the arms bend rearward, collapsing onto and contacting the top portion of the flared sole element, presenting a structure larger than the original flared sole element for the bimodal structure to activate at its apex.

[0086] In conclusion, disclosed is a shoe that enables fast and easy placement and removal of shoes that is hands-free, and at the same time that permits structural support and gripping of the ankle thus permitting running and fast walking. When the user desires to remove the shoe the user may push down on their foot on the back of an opposite heel's tab to force the bimodal structure and/or the shoe to pop or lock open. Downward pressure of a user's foot heel entering the shoe may push the bowed ends back to a reverse concave-convex condition, to snap back into the non-inverted position. A semi-sphere may have a similar ability to snap into either an inverted or non-inverted position upon receiving similar forces. It is to be understood that the bimodal shoe may include multiple bimodal structures described above in multiple locations, as appropriate.

[0087] Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.