Vacuum-suspended shoe
OwnerCarl A. Caspers, Maitland Craig McKenzieinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Footwear having a vacuum pump for removing fluid from its interior. The footwear can have a rigid outer shell, a flexible material bonded to the rigid outer shell, a thin sheath within the flexible material, a heelstrike-actuated vacuum pump in the heel, and a vacuum hose connecting the vacuum pump to the interior. The pump can be configured to reduce or increase pressure within the footwear to provide different results.
Claims20
An apparatus for use on a foot, comprising:
- (a) a support portion;
- (b) a first material within the support portion and enclosing a space in which a foot may be placed;
- (c) a pump embedded in the heel;
- and
- (d) a conduit connecting the pump to the space.
A method for removing fluid from within footwear, the footwear having a heel and an interior, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a first material within the interior of the footwear that forms a space into which a foot can be placed;
- (b) drawing a vacuum against the space after a user's foot is inserted into the footwear.
A method for changing the fluid pressure from within footwear, the footwear having a heel and an interior, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a first material within the interior of the footwear;
- (b) providing a fluid conduit that enables fluid to flow at least one of in and out of the interior;
- (c) controlling fluid flow in or out of the interior through the fluid conduit after a user's foot is inserted into the footwear to change the fluid pressure within the interior.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.