Inflatable shoe tree

Abstract

The invention is directed to a inflatable shoe tree that is easy to inflate and that is highly suitable for use both at home and for travel. A version of the present invention provides an inflatable shoe tree comprising: a unitary body having, (a) an interior gas tight chamber, (b) a toe portion, (c) a heel portion, (d) a central portion between the toe portion and the heel portion, (e) a bottom portion, (f) a top portion, and (g) an inflation portion that allows for a volume of gas to enter and exit the gas tight chamber. The body is capable of being in an inflated position and a deflated position, and when in an inflated position it forms a preformed three-dimensional structure substantially in the shape of a human foot, and when the shoe tree is in a fully deflated position, it is substantially flat in shape. The inflatable shoe tree may also include a fragrance, a deodorant, or a combination thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention is directed to a novel and nonobvious inflatable shoe tree. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a unique inflatable shoe tree that is easy to inflate and deflate and that is highly suitable for use both at home and for travel. [0002] Known shoe trees are typically made of solid blocks of wood, a combination of wood and metal, or metal alone, all of which can be heavy, expensive to manufacture, complex to use, and bulky to pack when traveling. Moreover, when known shoe trees made of wood are washed, they take considerable time to dry and must be completely dry before they can be reused to prevent deterioration of such shoe tree. In addition, many known shoe trees are adjustable and require the use of metal springs to give the shoe tree flexibility, or require the use of some type of compression component or spacer bar to facilitate the insertion and removal of the shoe tree from a shoe. Such springs, compres...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0004] The present invention satisfies these needs as well as provides a unique and advantageous inflatable shoe tree. None of the known shoe trees provides all of the numerous advantages of the present invention. The inflatable shoe tree of the present invention has the following advantages over known shoe trees: it is made of a lightweight, flexible material that is durable, reliable and capable of lasting a long period of time; it deflates to an easily manageable size that is easy to pack and carry, that takes up minimal space, and that is convenient for travel; it is easy to use and can be quickly inflated and deflated; it is designed to retain and preserve a shoe in its original shape and form; it has an exterior made of a soft material to minimize wear and tear on the interior of a shoe; it is less expensive to manufacture than known wood and metal shoe trees; it can be coated with a fragrance to make the inside of a shoe smell good when the inflatable shoe tree is inserted into the shoe and thus minimizes foot odor within the shoe; it is sanitary and can be easily washed and dried without danger of deterioration of the material; it comes in a variety of sizes and is particularly suitable for tennis shoes, high-top tennis shoes, sandals and closed toe shoes; it can be used by retailers for use in displaying shoes in an attractive and easy to use manner; and, it can be quickly inflated by a user's exhaled air, a standard inflation pump, or other suitable inflation means.

[0005] In one version, the present invention provides an inflatable shoe tree comprising: a unitary body having, (a) an interior gas tight chamber, (b) a toe portion, (c) a heel portion, (d) a central portion between the toe portion and the heel portion, (e) a bottom portion, (f) a top portion, and (g) an inflation portion that allows for a volume of gas to enter and exit the gas tight chamber. The body is capable of being in an inflated position and a deflated position, and when in an inflated position it forms a preformed three-dimensional structure substantially in the shape of a human foot, and when the shoe tree is in a fully deflated position, it is substantially flat in shape. The interior chamber is substantially hollow and is adapted for receiving a volume of gas such as air for inflation. The bottom portion of the body comprises a plurality of recessed segments. The top portion of the body comprises at least one recessed segment. The central portion of the body comprises a plurality of recessed segments that allow a user to more easily grip the shoe tree when in use. The inflation portion includes an inflation port that may be opened to allow a volume of gas to enter the gas tight chamber and exit the gas tight chamber, or the inflation port may be closed to prevent the escape of the gas from the gas tight chamber. The inflatable shoe tree can be inflated by exhaled air from a user, by use with a manual inflation pump, or by other suitable inflation means.

Problems solved by technology

Known shoe trees are typically made of solid blocks of wood, a combination of wood and metal, or metal alone, all of which can be heavy, expensive to manufacture, complex to use, and bulky to pack when traveling.

Moreover, when known shoe trees made of wood are washed, they take considerable time to dry and must be completely dry before they can be reused to prevent deterioration of such shoe tree.

Such springs, compression components, and spacer bars increase the manufacturing costs of such shoe trees, increase the complexity of manufacture, and increase the possibility of breakage or malfunctioning of the shoe trees.

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