Work boot with anatomical tongue

• US 20050252040A1
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IW Apparel, LLC (V.F. Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kevin D. Huckle
• Inventors: Huckle, Kevin D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,140,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 36/54
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/12 Special watertight footwear overshoes A43B3/16

Abstract

A work boot has an anatomatical tongue that is asymmetrical about a longitudinal centre line of the tongue. The tongue contains memory foam and shapes itself to a particular user. The memory foam causes the tongue to retain its shape. The side walls of the boot have J-bars extending inward therefrom. The J-bars also contain memory foam to comfortably fit the foot of a particular user.

Claims

1. A work boot for use by a user, said work boot comprising a sole, heel and upper, said upper having an anatomatical tongue, said tongue having a top, bottom, medial side and lateral side, said bottom having a mid-point between said two sides, said tongue having an imaginary longitudinal centre line extending vertically upward from said bottom, said tongue being asymmetrical about said centre line, said tongue containing a layer of memory material, said memory material being located to cause said tongue to conform to a shape of a foot and shin of said user through use of said tongue, said memory material causing said tongue to retain said shape for subsequent use.

2. A work boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lateral side is much larger relative to said centre line then said medial side.

3. A work boot as claimed in claim 2 wherein a top of said tongue slopes downward from said lateral side to said medial side.

4. A work boot as claimed in claim 3 wherein said tongue has rounded corners extending between said top and said sides.

5. A work boot as claimed in claim 4 wherein there are two work boots, one work boot being shaped to receive a left foot of said user, a second work boot being shaped to receive a right foot of said user, each of said work boots having an anatomatical tongue, said tongues being mirror images of one another.

6. A work boot as claimed in claim 4 wherein said memory layer is memory foam.

7. A work boot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upper of said work boot has two side walls above said heel with J-bars thereon, each side wall having a J-bar extending inward into a cavity of said upper, each J-bar having a substantially horizontal arm and a substantially vertical arm extending from an apex of said ankle support, said horizontal arm being located at a level that is just beneath an ankle bone of said user, said vertical arm being located just behind an ankle bone of said user, said J-bar extending inward from said side walls with one J-bar on each side wall and being formed from memory material, said J-bars conforming to an ankle of said user.

8. A work boot as claimed in claim 7 wherein said J-bar on said lateral side is located at a lower level than said J-bar on said medial side.

9. A work boot as claimed in claim 8 wherein said memory material and said J-bar is memory foam.

10. A work boot as claimed in claim 7 wherein each J-bar has an L-shape or a J-shape.

12. A work boot as claimed in claim 10 wherein said memory material is memory foam.

13. A work boot as claimed in claim 11 wherein said upper has an anatomatical tongue having a top, bottom, medial side and lateral side, said bottom having a midpoint between said two sides, said tongue having an imaginary longitudinal centre line extending vertically upward from said bottom, said tongue being asymmetrical about said centre line.

14. A work boot as claimed in claim 13 wherein said tongue contains a layer of memory material.

15. A work boot as claimed in claim 14 wherein said memory material is memory foam.

16. A work boot as claimed in claim 13 wherein said lateral side is much larger relative to said centre line than said medial side

11. A work boot for use by a user, said work boot comprising a sole, heel and upper, said upper having a lateral side wall and a medial side wall with J-bars thereon, said upper having a tongue, said side walls each having a J-bar located therein above said heel, each J-bar having an apex with a substantially horizontal arm and a substantially vertical arm extending from said apex, said horizontal arm being located at a level that is just beneath an ankle bone of said user, said vertical arm being located to a rear of said ankle bone, said J-bars extending inward from said side walls and being formed from memory material.