Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SANDAL HAVING CUSTOMISED TOE
THONG LOCATION
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
This patent application claims priority from, and incorporates by reference,
the entire disclosures
of US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/356,727, filed June 30, 2016 and
US Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/475,099, filed March 22, 2017.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of footwear. More specifically, the
present invention
relates to the field of sandals or flip-flops having a toe thong location that
is customised for a
wearer, and a method of manufacturing same.
Background
Sandals or flip-flops (generally referred to herein as sandals) are a popular
form of footwear.
They are most commonly worn in warm weather, since they allow more ventilation
than most
other forms of footwear. They are also often selected for wear for various
other reasons, for
example because they are light, casual in style, convenient to put on, easy to
pack, waterproof,
etc. Sandals are generally viewed as low cost items; from a manufacturing
perspective, they tend
to be of simple construction, and tend to be made from low-cost materials such
as foam (e.g.
ethylene-vinyl acetate foam) and plastic. Like most footwear, a standard
construction is adopted
with respect to the structural aspects of a pair of sandals, save with
adjustments based upon the
wearer's actual foot size. From a commercial standpoint, it is not generally
contemplated that
sandals could be customized for a particular wearer (also sometimes referred
to herein as a
"user"), especially given sandals' low cost and simple construction. However,
given that there
can be some considerable variety in terms of shapes, features, and sizes of
people's feet, many
wearers will find that the standard construction does not suit them even if
the foot-size itself is
the correct one. This can result in the sandals being ill-fitting or
uncomfortable for a specific
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wearer (which will be exacerbated if the wearer does quite a bit of walking in
the sandals and/or
plans to wear them often).
Sandals are often provided with a toe thong. A toe thong (sometimes also
called a "toe post"), as
used herein, refers to a resilient member that is generally connected to the
foot strap of the
sandal, and to the sole of the sandal. The base of the toe thong is generally
located on the upper
sole of the sandal and is proximate to, when the sandal is worn by a wearer,
the space between
the neck of the wearer's big toe and the neck of the wearer's second toe. When
the wearer is
wearing and walking in such sandal, the toe thong helps to maintain the
position of the sandal
relative to the wearer's foot and helps prevent the sandal from falling off
the wearer's foot.
Further, the wearer may, when necessary, grip the toe thong between his big
toe and second toe,
so that the sandal does not easily fall off the wearer's foot. In the case of
conventional sandals,
the toe thong is located at a standard "one-position-fits-all" location.
However, given that there
can be some considerable variety in terms of shapes, features, and sizes of
people's feet, a
standard toe thong location can, in many cases, cause discomfort and/or an
improper fit.
Accordingly, there would be advantages in providing a sandal wherein the
location of the toe
thong is customised for a particular wearer. By taking into account various
wearer-specific
parameters such as size, shape and/or profile of a wearer's foot; shape, size
and location of the
wearer's toes, and other related features of the foot (thickness, etc.), one
would be able to
determine a preferred location for a toe thong on the sandal for that wearer,
and thus produce a
sandal that is more customized for that wearer, thus improving the wearer's
comfort and fit.
It is contemplated that one could employ various inputs to facilitate
determining a preferred toe
thong location. For example, this may be achieved via use of 2-dimensional (2-
D) or 3-
dimensional (3-D) imaging or via use of a computer vision algorithm based upon
2-D or 3-D foot
data, e.g. using a single photograph of the wearer's foot, several photos of
the wearer's foot
taken from different angles, or a video of the wearer's foot taken from
various angles. It is
contemplated that the 2-D or 3-D foot data could be self-generated by a wearer
(i.e. by the
wearer photographing/capturing his own feet), generated by a device
specifically configured for
such purpose (e.g. a 2-D / 3-D image camera at a kiosk); or generated by a
third-party service
provider; or provided from the wearer's medical records (e.g. from a
podiatrist/chiropodist,
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including x-ray data). Such a sandal, having a customised toe thong location,
could significantly
improve a wearer's comfort and fit.
U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/309,406, filed December 23, 2016,
entitled "Generation of
3D-Printed Custom Wearables", discloses a possible approach for generating
custom wearables
based upon inputs involving scanning (a body part of the wearer), image
processing, machine
learning, computer vision, and/or user input, which is incorporated in its
entirety herein by
reference.
Furthermore, being able to provide such a customized sandal may allow greater
options and
flexibility regarding the design of sandals; for example, it may be possible
to use stiffer/stronger
materials for the toe thong than would otherwise be possible, because of the
improved fit and
comfort.
Brief Summary of the Invention
Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a sandal, wherein the toe thong
location may be
customised for a wearer. Also disclosed herein is a sandal with a customised
toe thong location
that is made in accordance with the above-described method.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, disclosed herein is a
method for
manufacturing a sandal having a toe thong location that is customised for a
wearer, wherein the
sandal comprises a foot strap, a toe thong connected to the foot strap, and a
sole, wherein the toe
thong is configured with a fastener, and wherein the sole comprises an upper
sole and a midsole,
the method comprising: (i) receiving foot data for the wearer; (ii)
determining for the wearer, an
optimal toe thong position in respect of a given sandal, based upon the foot
data for the wearer;
(iii) providing a custom toe thong insert having a plurality of fastener-
engagement holes for
engagement with the fastener; (iv) embedding the custom toe thong insert
within the midsole of
the sandal at an insert location; (v) determining an optimal fastener-
engagement hole of the
plurality of fastener-engagement holes, taking into account the optimal toe
thong position; (vi)
providing an orifice in the upper sole of the sandal, proximate to the optimal
toe thong position;
and (vii) inserting the fastener, through the orifice in the upper sole of the
sandal, and engaging
the fastener with the optimal fastener-engagement hole, thereby fastening the
fastener to the
custom toe thong insert.
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In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, disclosed herein
is a method for
manufacturing a sandal having a toe thong location that is customised for a
wearer or user,
wherein the sandal comprises a foot strap, a toe thong connected to the foot
strap, and a sole (the
sole comprising an upper sole, a midsole and an outsole), the method
comprising: (i) acquiring
foot data for said wearer; (ii) determining for the wearer, an optimal toe
thong position in respect
of a given sandal, based upon the foot data for the wearer; (iii) determining
a customised location
for a hole to be applied to a custom toe thong insert, wherein the custom toe
insert is to be
embedded in the sandal in an insert location, taking into account the insert
location and the
optimal toe thong position; (iv) providing a custom toe thong insert with a
hole at the customised
location; (v) embedding the custom toe thong insert into the insert location
within the midsole of
the sandal; (vi) providing an orifice in the upper sole of the sandal,
proximate to the optimal toe
thong position; and (vii) inserting a fastener, attached to the toe thong at
one end, through the
orifice in the upper sole of the sandal and into the hole of the custom toe
thong insert and
fastening it to the custom toe thong insert, to form a sandal with a
customised toe thong location.
In accordance with another aspect, also disclosed herein is a sandal made
using the foregoing
methods.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the
accompanying
drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a sandal provided with a custom toe thong insert.
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a sandal provided with an alternative embodiment
of the custom toe
thong insert.
Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating a custom toe thong insert, and the different
positions where the toe
thong may engage therewith.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of a custom toe
thong insert.
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the sandal with a custom toe thong insert of
Fig. 1, taken along the
A-A axis.
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Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the sandal with a custom toe thong insert of
Fig. 2, taken along the
B-B axis.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the
custom toe thong insert
and the fastener for engaging therewith.
5 Fig. 8 illustrates the custom toe thong insert and the fastener for
engagement therewith, and a toe
thong key.
Fig. 9 illustrates alternative versions of the toe thong key.
Fig. 10 is a flowchart which outlines an exemplary method for manufacturing a
sandal with a
customised toe thong location.
Fig. 11 is a flowchart which outlines an alternative method for manufacturing
a sandal with a
customised toe thong location.
Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with
reference to the
accompanying drawing(s), which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of
illustration,
exemplary embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. The invention
may, however,
be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to
the embodiments
set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough
and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those
skilled in the art. The
following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting
sense.
Referring to Fig. 1, a top plan view of a sandal 10 with a customised toe
thong location is shown.
For ease of discussion, the invention is illustrated herein with reference to
customisation of a
single sandal in accordance with one foot of a wearer; naturally, in practice,
a pair of customised
sandals would be manufactured, taking into account both feet of the wearer.
The sandal 10 has a
sole 12, a foot strap 16 and a toe thong 25. The sole 12 generally comprises
an upper sole 13 (as
visible in Fig. 1), a midsole 37 and an outsole 40. The foot strap 16 is
generally attached to the
sole 12 at a location proximate to the outstep or lateral side of the sandal
(sometimes referred to
herein as the outstep side 19) of the sandal 10, and at a location proximate
to the instep or medial
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side (sometimes referred to herein as the instep side 22) of the sandal 10.
The foot strap 16 is
also attached to the toe thong 25 (Optionally, the toe thong 25 and the foot
strap 16 may be
incorporated together). A custom toe thong insert 31 is configured with at
least one hole 34.
The custom toe thong insert 31 is shown in Fig. 1, so that its position can be
shown for reference
purposes; however, it should be understood that the custom toe thong insert 31
is actually
generally positioned/embedded under the upper sole 13 (and thus would not
generally be visible
from a top plan view of the sandal 10).
The toe thong 25 is provided with a fastener 26 located at the end of the toe
thong 25 distal to
where the toe thong 25 is attached to the foot strap 16. The fastener 26 may
be in the form of a
male member which is inserted through a hole in the upper sole 13 and which is
configured to be
inserted through the hole/compartment 34 to securely engage the custom toe
thong insert 31. In
one preferred embodiment, the fastener 26 may be in the form of a rotatable
plug, which has a
larger profile in one direction and a smaller profile in another direction. In
one configuration, the
plug presents its smaller profile to the hole 34 so that it can be inserted
into the hole 34; when the
plug is rotated into a "locked" position, it presents its larger profile to
the hole 34, thereby
securing the fastener 26 (and the attached toe thong 25) to the hole 34 (see
also Fig. 7). In
another example, the fastener 26 may be in the form of a generally circular
plug, which is
configured such that it has a greater profile at its back end than at its
forward end, so that the
plug can be inserted into the hole 34 in a forward direction and "snapped" in
place, but is
relatively difficult to pull out from the hole in the backward direction once
installed. Fig. 2 is a
top plan view of a sandal 10 provided with an alternative example of the
custom toe thong insert
32 (also shown in Fig. 4). In this case, the custom toe thong insert 32 is
provided with a plurality
of openings (three, as illustrated), which are provided with barbs. The
fastener 26 is provided
with mating barbs that lock into place, once pushed in, and with the optional
ability to be
removed when pressed and pulled in a particular direction - in a similar
fashion to zip-ties or
zap-straps. Other types of fasteners that are known in the art may also be
used to engage and/or
secure the toe thong 25 to the sole 12.
As mentioned above, the custom toe thong insert 31, and the alternative
embodiment of the
custom toe thong insert 32, are shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, respectively, in
order to illustrate their
actual location relative to the toe thong 25; it should be noted that when the
sandal 10 is fully
_
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assembled, the custom toe thong insert 31(32 in the case of the alternative
embodiment of Fig.
2) is embedded within the sole 12, under the upper sole 13, and is thus not
actually visible.
Fig. 3 illustrates the custom toe thong insert 31, and how the actual location
of the hole 34 may
be placed in one of multiple locations (e.g. 34A-34E). Although in the example
in Fig. 3, the
custom toe thong insert 31 is provided with 5 different positions for the hole
34, all of which are
offset along the x-direction (generally horizontal), it should be understood
that the location of the
hole 34 may be offset in the y-direction (generally vertical), or in both the
x and y directions. As
described below, it is contemplated that, in the manufacturing process for the
sandals 10, the
custom toe thong insert 31 would preferably be a component that can be
fabricated using 3-D
printing techniques; as such, there is considerable variation and flexibility
in terms of the precise
location of the hole 34.
Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an alternative example of the custom toe
thong insert 32. The
custom toe thong insert 32 is shown with three openings, which correspond to
possible locations
for a hole (35A-35C) at which location the fastener 26 may be securely
engaged. In this
embodiment, each opening is provided with engaging barbs, and the fastener 26
is provided with
mating barbs (not shown in Fig. 4, but shown for example in Fig. 6).
Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the sandal 10 in Fig. 1, taken along the axis A-
A. This view more
clearly illustrates how the custom toe thong insert 31 is embedded within the
sole 12, generally
in the midsole layer 37.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the sandal 10, with a custom toe thong insert 32
of Fig. 2, taken
along the B-B axis.
Fig. 7 is a diagram more clearly illustrating a preferred embodiment of the
custom toe thong
insert 31, and the fastener 26 adapted to engage with said custom toe thong
insert 31. The
fastener 26 is shown with a rotatable barrel 35 to which the base 28 of the
toe thong 25 is
attached. The fastener 26 may be inserted into the appropriate hole 34 (having
available positions
1-3, as shown), determined to be most suitable for the particular wearer, and
rotated into a
secured or "locked" position.
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For a sandal 10 for which the toe thong location may be customized for a
wearer's feet, as a
further optional feature, the wearer may be provided with a toe thong key 55
as shown in Fig. 8.
In such embodiment, the toe thong key 55 may be configured to specifically
engage with the
rotatable barrel 55, so that it can be turned. The rotatable barrel 55 may be
configured so that it
will not turn unless it is engaged with the right profile/dimension of key, as
provided by the toe
thong key 55. In other words, it is contemplated that a wearer would not
readily be able to
adjust/disengage the toe thong 25 from the sole of the sandal (e.g. using her
fingers) without the
toe thong key 55. The application of the toe thong key 55 enables the fastener
26, which is
securely engaged with hole 34 (e.g. position 2), to be unlocked and disengaged
from the hole 34.
The toe thong key can be provided in various forms, as shown in Fig. 9. For
example, it can be a
separate tool that is provided with each sandal purchase, or it may be
integrated with or attached
to the toe thong itself. Alternatively, the toe thong key may be integrated
with one of the
detachable side straps of the foot strap 16 as toe thong key 64.
The provision of a toe thong key 55 may be used to allow a wearer to exchange
one foot strap
with another foot strap (e.g. either to replace an old foot strap or to change
the design of the
sandal's foot strap, or even in the event that a wearer might decide to make
her own adjustments
to the original toe thong location set during manufacturing of the sandal 10).
Fig. 10 is a flowchart which outlines an exemplary method for manufacturing a
sandal 10 with a
customised toe thong location, as generally previously described in Fig. 1. At
step 2, data
regarding the wearer's foot/feet (sometimes referred to herein as foot data)
is obtained (step 2).
This foot data is generally in a digital or digitizable format. This foot data
can take various
forms. (U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/309,406, filed December 23,
2016, entitled
"Generation of 3D-Printed Custom Wearables", discloses a possible approach for
generating
custom wearables based upon inputs involving scanning a body part of the
wearer, image
processing, machine learning, computer vision, and/or user input). This can
simply be a photo or
such other image capture of the wearer's bare foot (this could be a photo of
the top or bottom of
the wearer's foot) that is taken using an image or video capture device or
such other computer
vision technology, such as a camera, smartphone or such other dedicated
equipment. More
usefully, the foot data may comprise several photos taken of the wearer's foot
from different
views/angles. The wearer may be guided to take specific views of the wearer's
foot (e.g. a top
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plan view, a bottom view, a side or front view, etc.). Optionally, the wearer
may also be directed
to take a photo or photos that include a standard or reference object, in
order to facilitate
determining the size of the wearer's feet. In a preferred embodiment, a
dedicated downloadable
software application, mobile app or application program interface ("API") may
be provided to
the wearer and installed on the wearer's mobile device (such as a smartphone)
in order to instruct
and guide the wearer in taking the appropriate views of his foot.
It is also contemplated, however, that suitable foot data may be obtained by
the wearer taking
multiple photos of his foot from arbitrary views/angles provided these are
sufficiently different
to provide sufficient detail regarding the 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional
geometry, as the case
may be, of the wearer's foot; the processing software can be configured to
compile the wearer's
foot data from such photos, although this introduces additional complexity
from a processing
standpoint compared to using specified views.
Alternatively, the foot data may be obtained from a video that is taken of the
wearer's foot, again
preferably from different views, e.g. by the wearer panning the video/image
capture device
.. around the foot. In a further alternative, the historical foot data of the
wearer's feet (such as
medical records from a podiatrist or chiropodist, or other medical
professional, etc. or previously
obtained photos/videos/x-rays) may also be used as the input for the wearer's
foot data.
Once the foot data is obtained, the optimal toe thong position for the wearer
in respect of a given
sandal is determined using a computer algorithm based on the wearer foot data
(step 3). This
determination will take into account the shape, size and thickness of the
wearer's foot; the size,
shape and thickness of the wearer's toes (particularly of the wearer's big toe
and second toe); and
the natural spacing between the wearer's big toe and second toe, etc.
Optionally, this
determination can also take into account one or more of the following, namely:
(a) the size of the
toe thong for the given sandal design; (b) the shape of the toe thong for the
given sandal design;
.. (c) the particular design of the given sandal; and (d) the type of material
to be used for the toe
thong. By way of example, where the design of a particular sandal is such that
it has a
particularly small toe thong, it may be desirable to make an adjustment to the
location of the toe
thong away from the actual optimal location, to provide the wearer with
slightly better grip for
the sandal.
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The customised location for a hole (of a specified size) 34 to be applied to a
custom toe thong
insert 31 is determined (step 4), taking into account where the custom toe
thong insert 31 is to be
embedded in the sole 12 of the particular sandal 10 (sometimes referred to
herein as the "insert
location"), and the optimal toe thong position determined from step 3. This
allows for the hole
5 34, when the custom toe thong insert 31 in embedded in the sole 12 of the
sandal in its
predetermined location, to generally correspond to the optimal toe thong
position for the wearer.
A custom toe thong insert 31 with a hole (of a specified size) 34 at the
customised location is
provided (step 5). The hole 34 is generally round, i.e. circular or oval,
although other shapes are
possible depending on the form of the fastener 26 that is used to engage with
the hole 34 and
10 custom toe thong insert 31. The appropriate size of hole 34 may also
depend on the type of
fastener 26 used. As shown in Fig. 3, the hole 34 for the custom toe thong
insert 31 is illustrated
as optionally being located in one of 5 different locations 34A-34E on the
custom toe thong
insert 31. For the sake of illustration, it can be determined which of these
positions corresponds
to (or, if this is not possible, best approximates to) the customised location
and to the optimal toe
thong position. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the custom toe thong insert 31
is shown with the
toe thong 25 inserted into the hole position corresponding to location 34C.
During the assembly/manufacturing of the particular sandal 10 (which generally
comprises a sole
12 or sandal bed; a foot strap 16 attached to the sole 12 at a instep side 22
and an outstep side 19;
and a toe thong 25 attached to the foot strap 16), the appropriate custom toe
thong insert 31 is
placed in its predetermined position and embedded within the sole 12 or sandal
bed (step 6). As
previously illustrated in Fig. 5, the custom toe thong insert 31 is preferably
embedded in the
midsole 37 of the sole 12 of the sandal 10. Although not specifically shown,
the midsole 37 may
be fabricated with a space for receiving the custom toe thong insert 31, and
corresponding to the
predetermined position, in order to facilitate the assembly of the sandal 10
and to ensure the
correct positioning of the custom toe thong insert 31 during
manufacture/assembly of the sandal.
Accordingly, the hole 34 is positioned at or proximate to where the base 28 of
the toe thong 25
should be located for the wearer.
An orifice is made in the upper sole 13 of the sandal 10, proximate to where
the base 28 of the
toe thong 25 is to be positioned (step 7)(this also corresponds to the
location where the hole 34 in
the custom toe thong insert 31 would be located in the assembled sandal 10).
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A fastener 26 is provided at the end of the toe thong 25 distal to where the
toe thong 25 is
attached to the foot strap 16. The fastener 26 is inserted through the orifice
in the upper sole 13
of the sandal 10, and into the hole 34 of the custom toe thong insert 31, and
securely fastened to
the custom toe thong insert 31 (step 8). The base 28 of the toe thong 25 is
accordingly
positioned at a location corresponding to (or proximate to) the optimal toe
thong position.
Assembly of the sandal 10 is completed, as may be necessary. In this fashion,
a sandal (or more
accurately, one foot of a pair of sandals) with a customised toe thong
location is manufactured
for the wearer. It is contemplated that in the above described process, it is
possible to dispense
with step 7 by inserting the fastener 26 directly through the upper sole 13
without first making an
orifice therein.
Fig. 11 is a flowchart which outlines a method for manufacturing a sandal 10
with a customised
toe thong location, containing the alternative embodiment of the custom toe
thong insert 32, as
previously described in Figs. 2 and 4. Steps 1-5 of Fig. 8 are the same as for
Fig. 7. In step 6,
the custom toe thong insert 32 is placed in its predetermined position and
embedded within the
sole 12 or sandal bed. In this particular case, the custom toe thong insert 32
is provided with a
hole or compartment (at location 35A-C), which is configured to receive a
fastener 26 for
locking engagement therewith. As previously illustrated in Fig. 6, the custom
toe thong insert 32
is preferably embedded in the midsole 37 of the sole 12 of the sandal 10.
Although not
specifically shown, the midsole 37 may be fabricated with a space for
receiving the custom toe
thong insert 32 and corresponding to the predetermined position, in order to
facilitate the
assembly of the sandal 10 and to ensure the correct positioning of the custom
toe thong insert 32
during manufacture/assembly of the sandal.
An orifice is punched through the upper sole 13 of the sandal 10, which is
proximate to the
optimal toe thong position (step 7). This orifice allows access to the
appropriate hole or
compartment 35 of the custom toe thong insert 32.
Next, the fastener 26 (for example, in the form of a zip-tie or zap-strap)
attached to the toe thong
25 at one end thereof, is inserted through the orifice in the upper sole 13 of
the sandal, into the
hole or compartment of the custom toe thong insert 32 and fastened thereto, to
form a sandal 10
with a customised toe thong location.
