DEVICE FOR ATTACHING REMOVABLE INTERCHANGEABLE HEELS FOR SHOES WITH TWO SPRINGS

Abstract

A device for attaching removable interchangeable heels for shoes. A system for locking and unlocking interchangeable heels in order to change heels as desired, while keeping the same pair of shoes, includes a base with tenon, called the housing, wherein a flat locking spring is located, and a mortise part wherein a second flat spring is inserted. The mortise and tenon assembly is locked when the two flat springs, having complementary shapes, come into contact and immobilize one another. The user can act on the tab of the locking flat spring in order to rotate it and unlock the heel. The flat spring automatically returns to its initial position due to its elasticity, when the user releases it.

Claims

1. Device for attaching removable interchangeable heels for shoes comprising: a housing, a flat locking spring, locked in the housing, a removable heel, a mortise piece also called female part, configured to fit on the housing and to contain a notch, and a second flat spring, locked in the notch of the mortise piece, configured to be compatible with the flat locking spring.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is fixed to an insole or machined under a sole of the shoe and the mortise piece is fixed or machined in the removable heel.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is fixed or machined in the removable heel and the mortise piece is fixed to the insole or machined under a shoe sole.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the mortise piece (2) are fixed to an insole of the shoe and the removable heel by fasteners.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the flat locking spring is formed by a locking protruding member, by an upper bent part to be locked in the notch of the housing and by a folded tab allowing it to be grasped, outside the device.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second flat spring is a flat spring folded at least three times to have a suitable hollow shape to receive the protruding member of the locking spring.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the second spring is folded twice more at its ends in order to create two locking bent parts allowing it to be locked in the notch of the mortise piece.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the flat locking spring comprises a hollow part having an inverted M shape instead of a protruding V shape and wherein the second spring forms an inverted V and not a M, in order to serve as the locking protruding part.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein an interlocking movement of the mortise piece on the housing is a transverse movement from rear to front.

10. The device according to claim 5, wherein the locking protruding member has an inclination formed by an obtuse angle so that the locking protruding member does not jam a sliding of the housing in the mortise piece.

11. The device according to claim 4, wherein the fasteners include a screw.

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein the suitable hollow shape is a M-shape.

Description

[0037] The present invention will be better understood by studying a particular embodiment by way of example and without limitation, illustrated by the drawings in Appendix, in which:

[0038] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing an assembly of the housing, mortise piece and heel (with a dotted line).

[0039] FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the locked tenon-mortise assembly, with a section of the mortise piece.

[0040] FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the locked assembly when it meets an anterior force.

[0041] FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate an embodiment of the present innovation. A variety of other embodiments can exist regarding the shapes, dimensions, positions of the elements and some characteristics and functions of the elements.

[0042] The shoe is not shown in the various figures. The heel (10) is shown with a dotted line in FIG. 1. The mortise piece (22) is shown as a full piece in FIG. 1 and as a section in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0043] The fasteners to the shoes and the necessary drilling in the housing (1) are not shown in the figures.

[0044] The housing (1) can be fixed, on the one hand, to the insole of the shoe by fasteners, such as screws and the mortise part (22) can be fixed to the heel by fasteners, such as screws.

[0045] The housing must be machined to contain the flat spring (6) and be adapted to its size in order to prevent unwanted movements as much as possible.

[0046] The front opening (3) allows the insertion of the flat spring (6) by compressing it during assembly and the grip of the locking spring during its use.

[0047] The lower opening (4) allows the locking protruding member (9) to come out of the housing (1) and the upper opening (21) allows a part of the locking spring (7) to be locked.

[0048] The housing may include a drilling hole (5) on its left and right sides in order to insert a rigid axis therein making it possible to lock the flat spring (6) in addition to the upper locking bent part (7), which is inserted in the upper notch (21) of the housing.

[0049] The flat locking spring (6) was chosen because of its elastic properties and because of its ease of manufacturing and implementation. Advantageously, it can be machined in one piece. Its shape can, however, vary in order to best meet the technical constraints of the device.

[0050] By way of example, without limitation, it can be machined, as shown in FIG. 2, with a rounded shape with an upper locking bent part (7), with a folded end for the grip which will be called the tab (8) and a lower V-shaped locking protruding member (9).

[0051] The upper locking bent part (7) allows to block the spring (6) in the upper part (21) of the housing (1) as well as to help to place the spring in the right position when it is inserted into the housing.

[0052] The tab (8) can come out of the housing (1) through the front opening (3) and can be pushed up by the user, which compresses the spring (6) in order to unlock the device. The lower locking protruding member (9) must come out of the housing (1) through the lower opening (4), when the spring is in the rest position. It is machined so as to interlock with the M spring (24) of the mortise piece (22) of the heel (10), which allows to lock the assembly. It can be pushed up in the housing, when the user pushes the tab upwards (8), which compresses the spring (6). It is also machined so as to fully enter into the housing when the spring (6) is compressed.

[0053] The protruding member (9) can have any shape allowing an adapted adhesion and locking.

[0054] The resistance of the spring (6) is such that the user's finger pressure allow to push up the protruding member (9) (lever arm effect).

[0055] The mortise piece (22) fixed on the heel (10) is the removable part of the device. It can have many shapes and heights to be better fixed in the heel.

[0056] It is also machined so as to slide easily around the housing (1): the fins (2) of the housing can slide in the sliding guides of the mortise piece (22) and the latter (22) fits precisely on the housing (1), thanks to a special machining for this purpose.

[0057] The notch (23) of the mortise piece (22) of the heel (10) must be machined to hold the M spring (24).

[0058] The M-shaped spring (24) is a flat spring folded at least three times (25; 26; 26) to have a suitable hollow shape (25) to receive the locking protruding member (9) of the locking spring (6). The folding (26, 26) of the M spring must be adapted to the inclinations of the locking protruding member (9) so that the latter locks there with precision. The M spring (24) can also be folded twice more at its ends in order to create two locking bent parts (27; 27) allowing it to be locked in the notch (23) of the mortise piece (22) of the heel (10).

[0059] We will describe the operation of the device when placing the heel, when applying an important external force and then when changing the heel.

[0060] During the sliding of the mortise piece (22), and therefore of the heel (10), towards the front on the housing (1), the protruding member (9) comes effortlessly in the housing (1) by compression of the flat spring (6).

[0061] The protruding member (9) does not jam the sliding of the housing (1) in the mortise piece (22) of the heel (10) due to its particular inclination given by an obtuse angle.

[0062] The protruding member (9), thus, pulled up into the housing, no longer blocks the sliding of the mortise piece (22) and therefore of the heel (10) which can then continue its path until it completely fits on the housing (1).

[0063] When the lower opening (4) of the housing (1) is above the notch (23) of the mortise piece (22) of the heel (10), by continuing the movement, the protruding member (9) can then come out thanks to the elastic decompression of the flat spring (6). The protruding member (9) is then positioned in the M spring (24) of the notch (23) of the mortise piece (22), gone along with an audible click for the user, which then locks the shoe/heel assembly (10) or housing (1)/mortise piece (22).

[0064] The tab (8) of the spring is then positioned downwards, which, in addition to the audible click, indicates to the user that the protruding member (9) is properly engaged in the heel. This assembly is resistant and can't move. The mortise piece (22) of the heel (10) can remain firmly fixed to the housing (1) of the shoe thanks to the elastic behavior of the flat spring (6) which pushes and locks the protruding member (9) in the M spring (24), when it is at rest.

[0065] The heel (10) can then no longer move in the three directions. The sides of the housing (1) and the fins (2) strengthen the assembly, also blocking movement in all directions.

[0066] When the heel meets a significant external force, represented by the arrow in FIG. 3, due, for example, to a jolt against a stair step or a jolt while running, this force will affect the mortise piece (22), the M spring (24) and the locking protruding member (9).

[0067] The opposing elastic action of the two springs will add the necessary solidity in order to prevent the separation of the assembly.

[0068] Indeed, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, if an external anterior force were to be applied to the heel (10) and therefore to the mortise piece (22), the locking protruding member (9) could be pushed towards the rear, pulled up and unlocks the system.

[0069] However, thanks to its elasticity, the M spring (24) could deform and compress the alpha angle. This slight compression would involve a movement of the anterior inclination of the M spring (24) which would then become more vertical. This verticality would then block the thrust of the locking protruding member (9) which could no longer be pulled up.

[0070] A greater reaction force would thus further increase the locking of the protruding member (9) in the M spring (24).

[0071] The addition of a second spring to the assembly therefore implies an improvement in the locking during the daily use of the device.

[0072] In order to separate the heel (10) from the shoe and therefore the mortise piece (22) from the housing (1), the user must push the tab (8) of the flat spring (6) upwards, which compresses it and the protruding member (9) being thus pulled up, the user can slide the heel (10) backwards to remove it from the body of the shoe.

[0073] The housing (1) and the mortise piece (22) of FIG. 2 are machined from a solid, non-deformable material. The flat spring (6) and the M spring (24) of FIG. 2 are machined from any metal meeting the technical constraints. These materials must also be light so as not to make the shoe too heavy.

[0074] The M spring (24) must be thinner than the locking spring (6) so that it can deform unlike the locking spring (6) which must remain as inert as possible.

[0075] According to another embodiment, the locking system can be inverted by modifying the locking spring (6) so that it includes a hollow part, like an inverted M shape, for example, instead of the V-shaped protruding member (9) and by modifying the M spring (24) so that it looks like an inverted V shape, for example, instead of the M shape, in order to serve as a locking protruding member, in turn.

[0076] According to an other embodiment, the housing (1) could be fixed in the heel (10) and the mortise piece (22) could be fixed under the shoe, by modifying their shape in a suitable manner.

[0077] The embodiment of the invention is therefore possible in different ways. We have chosen to show, as an example, the simplest and most advantageous realization.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown only by way of example, but a person skilled in the art will know how to carry out any better variant thanks to its knowledge.

[0079] The device of this invention is particularly meant to manufacture a pair of shoes with interchangeable heels in a simple and not expensive way and in order to be easy to use.