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US 8,453,351 B1Granted
Shoe with a height-adjustable heel
OwnerAllisa J. Haleinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shoe with a height-adjustable heel including a heel having a first heel member fixedly attached to the sole and a second heel member telescopically disposed within the first heel member which is operated by a hydraulic pump disposed in the first heel member and a pump lever, pivotally disposed on a rear wall of the first heel member, by which the hydraulic pump is activated to extend and retract the second heel member to respectively lengthen and shorten the heel and which also includes a twist-lock valve mechanism in a heel tip that controls the passage of air into the hydraulic pump.
Claims3
A shoe with a height-adjustable heel comprising:
- an upper;
- a sole attached to the upper, the sole having a front end and a rear end;
- a heel configured in a position below the sole, the heel comprising:
- a first heel member fixedly attached to the sole rear end;
- an internal cavity vertically disposed within the first heel member;
- a hydraulic pump vertically disposed within the internal cavity, the hydraulic pump having an upper portion and a lower portion;
- a pump lever pivotally disposed on a rear wall of the first heel member, the pump lever having an upper end releasably disposed proximal to a top end of the hydraulic pump upper portion and a lower end;
- and
- a pivot point disposed on the pump lever lower end, the pivot point disposed proximal to a bottom end of the hydraulic pump lower portion;
- wherein the pump lever has an extended position and an alternate retracted position;
- wherein the pump lever is in operational communication with the hydraulic pump;
- an elongated cylindrical second heel member telescopically disposed within the first heel member internal cavity, the second heel member having a proximal end and a distal end;
- wherein the hydraulic pump lower portion is centrally slidingly disposed within the second heel member;
- a heel tip attached to the second heel member distal end;
- and
- a twist-lock valve mechanism disposed within the heel tip;
- wherein the twist-lock valve mechanism has an open position and an alternate closed position;
- wherein, in the open position, the twist-lock valve mechanism permits the passage of an amount of air into the hydraulic pump;
- wherein, in the closed position, the twist-lock valve mechanism prevents the passage of the air into the hydraulic pump;
- wherein the activation of the pump lever in an extended position with the twist-lock valve mechanism in the open position activates the hydraulic pump;
- wherein the activation of the hydraulic pump selectively extends the second heel member into a partially raised position and an alternate raised position, whereby the heel is lengthened;
- wherein the deactivation of the pump lever in a retracted position deactivates the hydraulic pump;
- and
- wherein the deactivation of the hydraulic pump selectively retracts the second heel member into a lowered position, whereby the heel is shortened.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.