Vacuum formed conformable shoe
First Claim
1. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum forming configuration, comprising:
- a shoe body;
said shoe body including a sole including a sealed bladder containing particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions said bladder constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial state under partial vacuum conditions;
said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot;
a vacuum pump for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; and
said pump being mounted onto said shoe assembly;
means for actuating said pump to withdraw air from said bladder;
said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and
said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration at atmospheric pressure;
whereby said sole inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said bladder is released.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Shoes are provided with soles and/or upper portions which conform to the configuration of the user'"'"'s feet by the use of vacuum formable bladders in the sole of the shoes and/or in the sides of the upper portions of the shoes. The bladders are filled with material, such as small resilient or interlocking particles, which retains a configuration conforming to the shape of the feet under reduced pressure conditions. A vacuum pump is provided, and it may be located in the heel area of the shoe to be actuated by walking or running to evacuate air from the bladders. The shoe may be removed, and the vacuum formable bladders will retain their shape as long as the vacuum is maintained.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum forming configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including a sole including a sealed bladder containing particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions said bladder constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial state under partial vacuum conditions; said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot; a vacuum pump for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; and said pump being mounted onto said shoe assembly; means for actuating said pump to withdraw air from said bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration at atmospheric pressure; whereby said sole inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said bladder is released. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including an inner sealed bladder, said inner sealed bladder including means for retaining its shape under partial vacuum conditions and said means including resilient particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said vacuum pump being mounted on said shoe; said inner sealed bladder constituting means for providing a resilient support for the user'"'"'s anatomy in the foot and ankle area resulting from the resilient particulate material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s foot and adjacent anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including an inner sealed bladder, said inner sealed bladder including means for retaining its shape under partial vacuum conditions and said means including particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said vacuum pump being mounted on said shoe; said inner sealed bladder constituting means for providing shaped support for the user'"'"'s anatomy resulting from the particulate material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A vacuum formed conformable shoe insert assembly comprising:
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an inner sole formed of a sealed bladder, and inner sole including means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial shape at the time of evacuation, under partial vacuum conditions; a vacuum pump for withdrawing air from said bladder; said shoe sole insert assembly being not an integral part of any shoe, and being removably replaceable in any shoe, while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration, whereby it is adapted to be used in a plurality of shoes; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A vacuum formed conformable shoe insert assembly comprising:
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an inner shoe insert formed of a sealed bladder, said bladder including means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial shape at the time of evacuation, under partial vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said bladder; said shoe insert assembly being not an integral part of any shoe, and being removably replaceable in any shoe, while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration, whereby it is adapted to be used in a plurality of shoes; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration at atmospheric pressure.
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20. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum forming configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including a sole including a sealed bladder containing particulate material of substantially interlocking shapes, said bladder constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial state under partial vacuum conditions; said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot; a valve coupled to said sealed bladder permitting one-way flow of air out of said bladder when said bladder is compressed; said shoe assembly including means for compressing said bladder to provide a partially evacuated state upon compression by the foot of a user; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; whereby said sole inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said bladder is released.
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21. Conformable footgear including a vacuum forming configuration, comprising:
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a sole including a sealed bladder containing yieldable material constituting means for (1) inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its modified configuration under partial vacuum conditions; and
(2) under atmospheric pressure when not evacuated, repeatedly conforming to the shape of the foot of users applied to said sole;said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot; a valve coupled to said sealed bladder permitting one-way flow of air out of said bladder when said sole is compressed; said bladder being compressible to provide a partially evacuated state upon compression by the foot of a user; said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; said footgear including a foot engaging assembly for holding said sole in position underlying the foot of a user; and said footgear including means for permitting removal of the footgear and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; whereby said bladder inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said bladder is released. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. Conformable footgear including a vacuum forming configuration, comprising:
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a sealed bladder containing yieldable material constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its modified configuration under partial vacuum conditions; said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot; a valve coupled to said sealed bladder permitting one-way flow of air out of said bladder when said bladder is compressed; said foot gear including means for compressing said bladder to provide a partially evacuated state upon compression by engagement with the foot of a user; said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; said footgear including a foot engaging assembly for holding said bladder in position supporting the foot of a user; and said footgear including means for permitting removal of the footgear and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; whereby said bladder inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said bladder is released. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body an inner sealed bladder containing yieldable material constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its modified configuration under partial vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from sealed bladder; said inner sealed bladder constituting shaped support for the users anatomy in the foot area resulting from the yieldable material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its configuration when not evacuated; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s foot and adjacent anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder.
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33. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum forming configuration<
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a shoe body; said shoe body including a sole including a sealed bladder containing particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions, said bladder constituting means for inherently retaining its shape and remaining conformed to its initial state under partial vacuum conditions; said bladder being resilient under partial vacuum conditions and providing shaped support for the foot; a vacuum pump for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said pump being mounted in the sole of said shoe; means for actuating said pump to withdraw air from said bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its normal unevacuated configuration; whereby said sole inherently conforms to the shape of the user'"'"'s foot and retains this configuration until the partial vacuum in said lining is released.
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34. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including an inner sealed bladder, said inner sealed bladder including means for retaining its shape under partial vacuum conditions and said means including particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said pump being mounted in the sole of said shoe; said inner sealed bladder constituting a resilient support for the user'"'"'s anatomy in the foot and ankle area resulting from the resilient compressible particulate material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its normal unevacuated configuration; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s foot and adjacent anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder.
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35. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including an inner sealed bladder, said inner sealed bladder including means for retaining its shape under partial vacuum conditions and said means including particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said vacuum pump being mounted immediately adjacent said sealed bladder, and constituting means for evacuating said sealed bladder when the user walks, runs, or puts weight on the foot on which said shoe assembly is mounted; said inner sealed bladder constituting shaped support for the user'"'"'s anatomy in the foot and ankle area resulting from the particulate material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its normal unevacuated configuration; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s foot and adjacent anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder.
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36. A conformable shoe assembly including a vacuum formed configuration, comprising:
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a shoe body; said shoe body including an inner sealed bladder, said inner sealed bladder including means for retaining its shape under partial vacuum conditions and said means including particulate material of substantially interlocking properties under vacuum conditions; vacuum pump means for withdrawing air from said sealed bladder; said pump being mounted in the sole of said shoe; said inner sealed bladder constituting shaped support for the user'"'"'s anatomy in the foot and ankle area resulting from the particulate material within the sealed bladder; said shoe assembly including means for permitting removal of the shoe and remounting on a foot while the bladder is partially evacuated with the bladder retaining its conformed configuration; and said bladder having a reduced thickness and configuration when it is partially evacuated as compared with its normal unevacuated configuration; whereby said inner sealed bladder provides shaped support for the user'"'"'s foot and adjacent anatomy when air is withdrawn from said bladder.
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Specification