GB2111823A - Footwear heels - Google Patents

Abstract

A shoe [Z] or other article of footwear is provided with a heel which comprises pivotally interconnected upper and lower rigid plates [1, 2], the upper plate [1] being fixedly secured to the lower surface of the base of the shoe [Z]. The rear ends of the plates 1 and 2 are urged angularly apart by a helical compression spring [10] bearing between a stub [3] on the upper plate [1] and a stub [9] on the lower plate [2]. A stop mechanism [14, 15] prevents the spring [10] from turning the plates [1, 2] too far angularly apart and the lower surface of the lower plate [2] replaceably carries a heel cap [t]. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Footwear heels This invention refers to footwear in general and, more particularly, it refers to heels for shoes. The principal object of the invention is to provide a new type of heel adapted to give outstanding walking smoothness to its users.

A certain variety of shoe constructions are known, the difference therein mainly being attributable to appearance. However, some ingenious solutions to the problem of the design and fastening of replaceable heel caps, which are added as a supporting base to the various existing heel constructions, have been proposed. It will be appreciated that such constructions are not the subject of the present invention.

According to the invention, there is provided a heel for footwear comprising a spring mounted between two stubs fixed to corresponding pivotally interconnected rigid plates, the pivoting joint between both plates being provided with means for limiting the mutual angular displacement of said plates, one of said plates being adapted to be fixed to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear so as to be convered with the insole thereof, and the other plate being adapted to receive a heel cap at a location on the surface thereof that is opposite to the surface which carries the corresponding stub.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:: Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the main structure of a footwear heel in accordance with this invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the upper one of two plates of the heel of Figure 1, which upper plate is the one to which the base of a shoe or other article of footwear is fixed, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower plate to which is attached, in use, a heel cap, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a resilient U-section member arranged to provide a pivotal joint between the two plates, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a standard clamp adapted to assist in connecting the heel of this invention to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear, and Figure 6 is an inverted partial section, to an enlarged scale, of the pivotal joint between the two plates.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the same reference symbols are used throughout for identical or similar parts.

In the particular embodiment of this invention that is illustrated, Figure 1 shows a shoe Z in broken lines which shoe Z may be of any type, for instance a lady's shoe. The heel of the shoe Z comprises, according to this invention, a pair of hard synthetic plastics or metal plates 1 and 2 of suitable rigidity.

The upper plate 1 is fixed to the lower face of the base of the shoe Z, preferably by using a strong adhesive. The plate 1 is provided at its rear end with a downwardly projecting stub 3. At its front, the plate 1 has a pair of holes 4 through which is introduced a known clamp 5 [Figure 5] to retain this part of the plate 1 in contact with the base of the shoe Z. Two symmetrically identical side wings 6 and 7 of the plate 1 are formed with aligned holes 8.

The second or movable lower plate 2 is provided on the upper surface of its rear extremity with another stub 9. On the opposite flat surface of the plate 2 is fixed by an adhesive, or by other means, a cap tofthe heel.

Between both facing stubs 3 and 9 is mounted a helical spring 10, forcing the separation of both plates 1 and 2, while turning pivotally around the hinge provided by a resilient channel member 11 [Figures 4 and 6] which is arranged as a pivot pin passing through a transverse hole 12 in the plate 2 and the aligned holes 8 in said wings 6 and 7 of the upper plate 1.

The lower or movable plate 2 has, at its leading end, an extension 13, shaped to define a flat stop plane 14 affording a stop limiting the relative turnability of both plates 1 and 2 under the action of the spring 10 forcing said plates apart by pivoting around the axis defined by the channel member 11.

The space between both plates 1 and 2, in relation to the end stop 13-14 and an abutment 15 in the upper plate 1, governs the extent of the angular displacement between said plate 1 and 2 that is possible when the plate 2 is moved upwardly underthe action of the weight of a wearer and the resiliency of the spring 10. The parts 13, 14 and 15 prevent the plate 2 from being displaced excessively to a position where it would "hang" from the shoe Z. Obviously, the above described pivotal joint and angular displacement limitation may be replaced by any other simple construction adapted to the same purpose.

The operation is easy to understand. The above mentioned embodiment keeps the compression spring 10 in its appointed position between said plates 1 and 2, so that it may have a variety of finishes, including different colours. The maximum extension of the pre-compressed spring 10 is limited, in the unloaded position, by the stop mechanism between the plates 1 and 2 which comprises the parts 13,14 and 15. Then using the shoe Z, the spring 10 will be further compressed by the wearer's weight giving a soft damping in the contact of the heel capt with the ground or a floor. The heel of this invention produces a marked comfort in walking, as it gives assistance that adds to the natural leg impulse at each step.

1. A heel for footwear comprising a spring mounted between two stubs fixed to corresponding pivotally interconnected rigid plates, the pivoting joint between both plates being provided with means for limiting the mutual angular displacement of said plates, one of said plates being adapted to be fixed to the base of a shoe or other article of

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Footwear heels This invention refers to footwear in general and, more particularly, it refers to heels for shoes. The principal object of the invention is to provide a new type of heel adapted to give outstanding walking smoothness to its users. A certain variety of shoe constructions are known, the difference therein mainly being attributable to appearance. However, some ingenious solutions to the problem of the design and fastening of replaceable heel caps, which are added as a supporting base to the various existing heel constructions, have been proposed. It will be appreciated that such constructions are not the subject of the present invention. According to the invention, there is provided a heel for footwear comprising a spring mounted between two stubs fixed to corresponding pivotally interconnected rigid plates, the pivoting joint between both plates being provided with means for limiting the mutual angular displacement of said plates, one of said plates being adapted to be fixed to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear so as to be convered with the insole thereof, and the other plate being adapted to receive a heel cap at a location on the surface thereof that is opposite to the surface which carries the corresponding stub. The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:: Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the main structure of a footwear heel in accordance with this invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the upper one of two plates of the heel of Figure 1, which upper plate is the one to which the base of a shoe or other article of footwear is fixed, Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower plate to which is attached, in use, a heel cap, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a resilient U-section member arranged to provide a pivotal joint between the two plates, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a standard clamp adapted to assist in connecting the heel of this invention to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear, and Figure 6 is an inverted partial section, to an enlarged scale, of the pivotal joint between the two plates. Referring to the accompanying drawings, the same reference symbols are used throughout for identical or similar parts. In the particular embodiment of this invention that is illustrated, Figure 1 shows a shoe Z in broken lines which shoe Z may be of any type, for instance a lady's shoe. The heel of the shoe Z comprises, according to this invention, a pair of hard synthetic plastics or metal plates 1 and 2 of suitable rigidity. The upper plate 1 is fixed to the lower face of the base of the shoe Z, preferably by using a strong adhesive. The plate 1 is provided at its rear end with a downwardly projecting stub 3. At its front, the plate 1 has a pair of holes 4 through which is introduced a known clamp 5 [Figure 5] to retain this part of the plate 1 in contact with the base of the shoe Z. Two symmetrically identical side wings 6 and 7 of the plate 1 are formed with aligned holes 8. The second or movable lower plate 2 is provided on the upper surface of its rear extremity with another stub 9. On the opposite flat surface of the plate 2 is fixed by an adhesive, or by other means, a cap tofthe heel. Between both facing stubs 3 and 9 is mounted a helical spring 10, forcing the separation of both plates 1 and 2, while turning pivotally around the hinge provided by a resilient channel member 11 [Figures 4 and 6] which is arranged as a pivot pin passing through a transverse hole 12 in the plate 2 and the aligned holes 8 in said wings 6 and 7 of the upper plate 1. The lower or movable plate 2 has, at its leading end, an extension 13, shaped to define a flat stop plane 14 affording a stop limiting the relative turnability of both plates 1 and 2 under the action of the spring 10 forcing said plates apart by pivoting around the axis defined by the channel member 11. The space between both plates 1 and 2, in relation to the end stop 13-14 and an abutment 15 in the upper plate 1, governs the extent of the angular displacement between said plate 1 and 2 that is possible when the plate 2 is moved upwardly underthe action of the weight of a wearer and the resiliency of the spring 10. The parts 13, 14 and 15 prevent the plate 2 from being displaced excessively to a position where it would "hang" from the shoe Z. Obviously, the above described pivotal joint and angular displacement limitation may be replaced by any other simple construction adapted to the same purpose. The operation is easy to understand. The above mentioned embodiment keeps the compression spring 10 in its appointed position between said plates 1 and 2, so that it may have a variety of finishes, including different colours. The maximum extension of the pre-compressed spring 10 is limited, in the unloaded position, by the stop mechanism between the plates 1 and 2 which comprises the parts 13,14 and 15. Then using the shoe Z, the spring 10 will be further compressed by the wearer's weight giving a soft damping in the contact of the heel capt with the ground or a floor. The heel of this invention produces a marked comfort in walking, as it gives assistance that adds to the natural leg impulse at each step. CLAIMS

1. A heel for footwear comprising a spring mounted between two stubs fixed to corresponding pivotally interconnected rigid plates, the pivoting joint between both plates being provided with means for limiting the mutual angular displacement of said plates, one of said plates being adapted to be fixed to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear so as to be substantially covered with the insole thereof, and the other plate being adapted to receive a heel cap at a location on the surface thereof that is opposite to the surface which carries the corresponding stub.

2. A heel for footwear as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for limiting the mutual angular displacement of said plates is defined by a shaped stop plane located at the pivoted end of said other one of the two plates.

3. A heel for footwear as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said one of the two plates is adapted to be fixed to the base of a shoe or other article of footwear by an adhesive.

4. A heel for footwear as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the pivoting joint between both plates comprises perforated side wings which are mounted on one of the two plates, a transverse hole at or adjacent the pivoted end of the other plate, and a resilient member entered through the holes in both wings and the intervening transverse hole.

5. A heel for footwear as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said spring is a helical compression spring.

6. A heel for footwear substantially as hereinbefore described with or without reference to Figures 1, 2,3 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A shoe or other article of footwear comprising a heel as claimed in any preceding claim.