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(11) | EP 1 616 495 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Shoe |
| (57) A shoe (10) comprises a sole (11) and an upper positioned above the sole and having
a height so as to cover up to an ankle. The upper comprises a lower upper (12) including
a tongue for covering an instep, right and left side parts (14a,14b) having a height
so as to cover an anklebone and gradually reduced in height backward, and a rear part
(17) which connects the right and left side parts (14a,14b), and a higher upper (20)
having a height so as to cover the ankle from a position in which an upper region
of the lower upper is overlapped, one end connected to the right side part (14a) of
the lower upper (12), a middle region partially and sequentially overlapping with
the right side part (14a), the rear part (17) and the left side part (14b) of the
lower upper (12), and a fixing part (27) connected to the left side part (14b) and
detachably connected to a hook and loop fastener (34) of the higher upper (20).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a shoe and more particularly, it relates to a shoe which is easily put on.
2. Description of the Background Art
[0002] An easy wearable shoe is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 11-113609, for example.
[0003] According to the shoe disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 11-113609, a heel covering part covered by an outside rear end and an inside rear end is provided at a heel part of the shoe, and a band having a fastener is provided at the outside rear end. When the band passes through a band sleeve provided at the inside rear end and it is folded, it comes to a position to be fixed by the fastener.
[0004] The conventional shoe considering the ease of putting on is constituted as described above. The shoe can be easily put on or taken off by loosing or fastening a band.
[0005] However, according to the above constitution, it is necessary to loose or fasten the band every time the shoe is put on or taken off, and actually it is not easy to put the shoe on.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe which can firmly hold a foot and can be easily put on or taken off.
[0007] According to the present invention, a shoe comprises a sole and an upper positioned above the sole and having a height so as to cover up to an ankle. The upper comprises a lower upper including a tongue for covering an instep, right and left side parts having a height so as to cover an anklebone and gradually reduced in height backward, and a rear part which connects the right and left side parts; and a higher upper having a height so as to cover the ankle from a position overlapping with an upper region of the lower upper, one end connected to one side part of the lower upper, a middle region partially and sequentially overlapping with the one side part, the rear part and the other side part of the lower upper, and the other end detachably connected onto the one end.
[0008] Since the lower upper has the right and left side parts having the height so as to cover the anklebone and gradually reduced in height backward, and the rear part connecting the right and left side parts, the heel part is opened so that the foot can be easily inserted to the sole. Meanwhile, the higher upper is mounted on the lower upper so as to cover the ankle from the position in which it overlaps with an upper region of the lower upper after the foot is put on the sole.
[0009] As a result, the shoe can be provided which firmly hold the foot and can be easily put on or taken off.
[0010] Preferably, when the other end of the higher upper is connected to the one end, upper parts of one side part, rear part and the other side part of the higher upper overlapping with the lower upper extend upward from the other end connected to the one end.
[0011] Further preferably, a dimension of a part in which the higher upper partially overlaps with one side part, the rear part, and the other side part of the lower upper is not less than 1/2 of a height of the rear part.
[0012] Still preferably, a connection part connecting the lower upper to the higher upper is provided at a part in which the other side part of the lower upper is partially overlapped, and the connection part is provided on an external surface of the lower upper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a shoe whose ankle holding member is developed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrows II-II in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a shoe whose ankle holding member is assembled;
Fig. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows IV-IV in Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows V-V in Fig. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanied drawings hereinafter. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a baby shoe (for a right foot) according to one embodiment of the present invention in a state before a baby puts it on. Fig. 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrows II-II in Fig. 1. A shoe for a left foot has the same constitution.
[0016] Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a baby shoe 10 comprises a sole 11 on which a baby foot is put, and an upper which is connected from the sole 11 and positioned above the sole.
[0017] The upper comprises a lower upper 12 and a higher upper 20. The lower upper 12 includes a tongue (instep part) 13 which covers an instep of the baby, right and left side parts 14a and 14b which are gradually reduced in height backward from a position of the instep of the baby, and a rear part 17 which connects the right and left side parts 14a and 14b at a lower part of a heel. As shown in Fig. 2, the right and left side parts 14a and 14b have a height so as to cover the anklebone 35 (shown by a dotted line in Fig. 2) when the foot of the baby is placed on the sole.
[0018] A hook and loop fastener 33 which is connected to a hook and loop fastener 31 provided in a heel holding part 22 is provided in the heel direction on the left side part 14b, as will be described below.
[0019] Every hook and loop fastener is provided on an outside (surface) of its mounted surface in the baby shoe 10.
[0020] A connection band 15 is provided at a toe to detachably connect the right and left side parts 14a and 14b to each other.
[0021] According to the baby shoe in this embodiment, since a heel part of the lower upper 12 can be widely opened, the baby can easily put on the shoe 10.
[0022] The higher upper 20 is mounted on a mounting part 16 in the right side part 14a of the shoe and extends outside therefrom. The higher upper 20 includes an ankle holding part 21 which covers the right and left sides of the foot and the heel to hold the ankle, and a fixing part 27 provided continuously from the ankle holding part 21 to fix its end part 28 to the shoe 10 in order to hold the ankle by the ankle holding part 21.
[0023] The ankle holding part 21 has a height covering from a position overlapping with an upper region of the lower upper 12 to the ankle, and it partially overlaps with the upper portion of right side part 14a, the rear part 17, and the left side part 14b in this order from the mounting part 16.
[0024] The end part 28 of the fixing part 27 has a hook and loop fastener 32 and this fastener 32 is detachably connected to a hook and loop fastener 34 provided on the opposite side of the illustrated surface as shown by a dotted line in Fig. 1 in the vicinity of the mounting part 16 of the higher upper 20.
[0025] The ankle holding part 21 has the heel holding part 22 surrounding the heel to hold the heel when the foot of the baby is placed on the sole 11 and first and second upper-heel holding parts 23a and 23b and central upper-heel holding part 24 are provided in an upper part of the heel holding part 22.
[0026] The first and second upper-heel holding parts 23a and 23b and the central upper-heel holding part 24 are separated from the heel holding part 22 by seams as shown by dashed lines in Fig. 1 so that the whole ankle holding part 21 is cushioned except for the seam part.
[0027] When the baby puts on the shoe 10, the baby put its foot on the sole 11 first. Then, the higher upper 20 is moved in a direction shown by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2 to cover the ankle of the baby from behind and connect the hook and loop fasteners 31 and 32 to the hook and loop fasteners 33 and 34, respectively. The connection band 15 connects the right and left side parts 14a and 14b so as to fit the foot of the baby.
[0028] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state when the baby puts on the shoe 10. Fig. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows IV-IV in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows V-V in Fig. 3.
[0029] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, since the right and left side parts 14a and 14b are adjustably connected by the connection band 15, a metatarsal bone of the baby can be retained so that the shoe can fit the foot of the baby.
[0030] Further, since the first and second upper-heel holding parts 23a and 23b and the central upper-heel holding part 24 extend upward from the fixing part 27, the ankle can be sufficiently supported by the ankle holding part 21.
[0031] Referring to Fig. 4, a dimension t1 of an overlapping part of a lower end of the higher upper 20 with upper ends of the right and left side parts 14a and 14b is set so as to be not less than 1/2 of a height t2 of the rear part 17. As a result, the left side part 14b and the higher upper 20 do not easily become loose combined with the bonding force between the hook and loop fasteners 31 and 33, so that the ankle of the baby can be firmly retained.
[0032] Meanwhile, when the baby takes off the shoe 10, reverse procedures are taken. That is, the connection band 15 is disconnected and the fastener 32 of the fixing part 27 is removed from the fastener 34 to open the higher upper 20. Thus, the heel part of the shoe can be widely opened and the heel part of the baby is released, so that the baby foot can be easily pulled out, that is, the shoe is taken off.
[0034] Although a description has been made of the case where the connection band is provided in addition to the higher upper in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this case and only the higher upper may hold the baby foot.
[0035] In addition, although a description has been made of the case where the present invention is applied to the baby shoes in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the baby shoes, and the present invention may be applied to shoes for adults or shoes for elderly people.
[0036] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above illustrated embodiment. Various kinds of modifications can be added to the illustrated embodiment within the same or equivalent scope of the present invention.
1. A shoe (10) including a sole (11) and an upper positioned above the sole (11) and
having a height so as to cover up to an ankle, characterized in that
said upper comprises:
said upper comprises:
a lower upper (12) including a tongue for covering an instep, right and left side parts (14a,14b) having a height so as to cover an anklebone and gradually reduced in height backward, and a rear part (17) which connects the right and left side parts (14a,14b); and
a higher upper (20) having a height so as to cover the ankle from a position overlapping with an upper region of said lower upper (12), one end connected to one side part of said lower upper (12), a middle region partially and sequentially overlapping with the one side part (14a), the rear part (17) and the other side part (14b) of said lower upper (12), and the other end detachably connected onto said one end.
2. The shoe (10) according to claim 1, wherein when the other end of said higher upper
(20) is connected to said one end, upper parts of one side part (14a), rear part (17)
and the other side part (14b) of said higher upper (20) overlapping with the lower
upper (12) extend upward from said other end connected to said one end.
3. The shoe (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a dimension of a part in which said
higher upper (20) partially overlaps with one side part (14a), the rear part (17),
and the other side part (14b) of said lower upper (12) is not less than 1/2 of a height
of the rear part (17).
4. The shoe (10) according to claim 3, wherein a connection part which connects said
lower upper (12) to said higher upper (20) is provided at a part in which the other
side part of said lower upper (12) is partially overlapped, and said connection part
is provided on an external surface of said lower upper (12).
5. The shoe (10) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said right and left side
parts (14a, 14b) are connected by a connection band (15).