Footwear
OwnerMartin William Fredrick Deaninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure relates to a footwear collar and an item of footwear comprising the collar for defining an opening into which a wearer's foot is insertable, the collar comprising a one-piece semi-rigid element which borders the opening, by itself or in combination with a sole or an upper of the footwear, to continuously surround the opening, and an undulating configuration comprising a first series of alternating peaks and troughs, the peaks being located adjacent the opening, wherein the collar is biased into a closed configuration and can be moved into an open configuration in which the size of the opening is increased to don and doff the footwear.
Claims20
An item of footwear comprising a sole, a collar, and an opening into which a wearer's foot is insertable, the collar comprising:
- a molded one-piece semi-rigid element which borders and thereby defines the opening, by itself or in combination with a sole or an upper of the footwear to continuously surround the opening;
- and
- wherein the one-piece semi-rigid element comprises a closed ring with a heel section a tongue section, and lateral sections therebetween to continuously surround the opening and has an undulating configuration comprising a first series of alternating peaks and troughs, the peaks being located adjacent the opening;
- wherein the collar is biased into a closed configuration which in use grasps a wearer's foot and can be moved into an open configuration in which the size of the opening is increased to enable the wearer to don and doff the footwear, and wherein the undulating configuration of the collar is configured to cause the collar to act as a resilient member or spring, flexing into the open configuration when a force is exerted on the heel section and/or the tongue section of the element and returning to the closed configuration when the force is removed, thereby biasing the collar into the closed configuration;
- wherein the one-piece semi-rigid element is configured such that, in use, the tongue section and heel section respectively align with an instep and a heel of the wearer's foot, such that the instep can contact the tongue section of the collar, and/or the heel can contact the heel section of the collar, to exert the force on the collar and move the collar to the open configuration.
A footwear collar for defining an opening into which a wearer's foot is insertable, the collar comprising:
- a molded one-piece semi-rigid element comprising a closed ring, configured such that in use it borders the opening of an item of footwear, by itself or in combination with a sole or an upper of a footwear, to continuously surround the opening, the one-piece semi-rigid element comprising a heel section and a tongue section with lateral sections therebetween, and an undulating configuration comprising a first series of alternating peaks and troughs, the peaks being located adjacent the opening
- wherein the collar is biased into a closed configuration which in use grasps a wearer's foot and can be moved into an open configuration in which the size of the opening is increased to enable the wearer to don and doff the footwear, and wherein the undulating configuration of the collar is configured to cause the collar to act as a resilient member or spring, flexing into the open configuration when a force is exerted on the heel section and/or the tongue section of the element and returning to the closed configuration when the force is removed, thereby biasing the collar into the closed configuration;
- and
- wherein the one-piece semi-rigid element is configured such that, in use, the tongue section and heel section respectively align with an instep and a heel of the wearer's foot, such that the instep can contact the tongue section of the collar, and/or the heel can contact the heel section of the collar, to exert the force on the collar and move the collar to the open configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.