Work boot with anatomical tongue

• US 7,140,128 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US10/843,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20050252040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 36/45, 36/54, 36/88, 36/89, 36/93, 36/71
• 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 anatomical tongue that is asymmetrical about a longitudinal line of the tongue extending vertically upward from a mind-point of a bottom of said 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 anatomical tongue, said tongue having a top, bottom, medial side and lateral side, said bottom having a mid-point between said two sides, said tongue being asymmetrical about an imaginary longitudinal line extending upward along said tongue in a vertical plane through said mid-point of said bottom, said vertical plane extending through a longitudinal center axis of said sole, 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, an area of said tongue on said lateral side of said imaginary longitudinal line being much larger than an area of said tongue on said medial side of said imaginary longitudinal line.

2. 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 wail 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.

3. A work boot as claimed in claim 2 wherein said J-bar on said lateral side is located at a lower level than said J-bar on said medial side.

4. A work boot as claimed in claim 3 wherein said memory material and said J-bar is memory foam.

5. A work boot as claimed in claim 2 wherein each J-bar has an L-shape or a J-shape.

6. A work boot for use by a user, said work boot comprising a sole, heel and upper, said upper having an anatomical tongue, said tongue having a top, bottom, medial side and lateral side, said bottom having a mid-point between said two sides, when said tongue is in a vertical position, said tongue having an imaginary longitudinal line extending vertically upward from said mid-point of said bottom to said top, 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, an area of said tongue on said lateral side of said imaginary longitudinal line being much larger than an area of said tongue on said medial side of said imaginary longitudinal line.

7. A work boot as claimed in claim 6 wherein a top of said tongue slopes downward from said lateral side to said medial side.

8. A work boot as claimed in claim 7 wherein said tongue has rounded corners extending between said top and said sides.

9. A work boot as claimed in claim 8 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 anatomical tongue, said tongues being mirror images of one another.

10. A work boot as claimed in claim 8 wherein said memory layer is memory foam.

11. A work boot for use by a user, said work boot comprising a sole, heel and upper, said upper having an anatomical tongue, said tongue having a top, bottom, medial side and lateral side, said bottom having a mid-point between said two sides, when said tongue is in a vertical position, said tongue having an imaginary longitudinal line extending vertically upward from said mid-point to said top, said imaginary longitudinal line lying on a vertical plane, said vertical plane being aligned with an ankle instep molding line of said boot, 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, an area of said tongue on said lateral side of said imaginary longitudinal line being much larger than an area of said tongue on said medial side of said imaginary longitudinal line.