Shoe ventilation insert and booty

Abstract

A shoe ventilation apparatus ( 10 ) comprises a insert ( 12 ) fitting over the sole (L) of a shoe (S). An arch (A) extending upwardly from the sole, together with the insert defines a first air chamber (A 1 ) at the heel (H) of the shoe, and a second air chamber (A 2 ) at the toe (T) thereof. Air passages ( 28 ) in the heel of the shoe provide air to the first air chamber when the person wearing the shoe transfers their weight onto their toes. Air is expelled from the second air chamber through outlets ( 44 ) to ventilate the person's foot as the person transfers their weight from their toes to their heel. At this time, the person's weight presses down on the rear portion of the insert, compressing the first air chamber and forcing air from the first air chamber into the second air chamber. The circulated air is then vented from the shoe. A second embodiment of the invention comprises a booty ( 70 ) which is inserted in the shoe for circulating air through the shoe.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:  
     
         1 . Shoe ventilation apparatus comprising: 
 an insert fitting within a person's shoe over the sole thereof and extending substantially the length of the shoe, the shoe having an arch extending upwardly above the sole and contacting one side of the insert intermediate the length of the insert for a rear portion of the insert and the sole of the shoe rearward of the arch to form a first air chamber, and a forward portion of the insert and the sole of the shoe forward of the arch to form a second air chamber;    an air inlet formed at the heel of the shoe and in fluid communication with the first air chamber for air to be drawn into the first air chamber through the air inlet when the person wearing the shoe transfers their weight to their toes; and,    an air outlet formed in the second air chamber for air drawn into the first air chamber to be expelled through the air outlet to ventilate the person's foot, air drawn into the first air chamber when the person's weight is upon their toes being pumped into the second air chamber as the person transfers their weight from their toes to their heel, the person's weight pressing down on the rear portion of the insert and compressing the first air chamber to force air from the first air chamber into the second air chamber with the air then being vented from the second air chamber through the air outlet to ventilate the person's foot.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least one air inlet passage is formed in the heel portion of the shoe, the air inlet passage having an outlet extending through a endwall of the shoe into the first air chamber.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the rear of the insert is pivotal up and down relative to the sole of the shoe as the person transfers their weight to the toes and heel of their foot respectively, the outlet of the air inlet passage being open into the first air chamber when the person's weight is on their toes and the rear of the insert is in a raised position.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the rear of the insert is moved to a position blocking the outlet of the air passage when the person transfers their weight to their heel and the insert is moved to a lowered position.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  further including a plurality of air passages formed in the heel portion of the shoe, each air inlet passage having an outlet extending through a endwall of the shoe into the first air chamber, the air passages being spaced about an arc defined by the heel portion of the shoe with the outlet of each air inlet passage being open into the first air chamber when the person's weight is on their toes and the rear of the insert is raised, and blocked when the rear of the insert is lowered as the person transfers their weight onto their heel.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein compressible pads are formed in the heel potion of the sole of the shoe with the rear portion of the insert resting upon the pads to compress the pads as the person's weight is transferred onto their heel, compressing the pads compressing the first air chamber and forcing the air therein into the second air chamber.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein at least one spring attached to an underside of the insert and bearing against an upper surface of the sole of the shoe, transfer of the person's weight unto their heel compressing the spring and lowering the rear portion of the insert into a position blocking the outlet of the inlet air passages, and compressing the first air chamber to force the air therein into the second air chamber.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the means for moving air includes at least one air passage extending through the arch between the first chamber and the second chamber.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further including a plurality of air passages extending between the first and second chambers.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein the insert is sufficiently flexible that when the person transfers their weight to the heel of their foot, the insert is forced against the end of the air passages opening into the first air chamber to close the air passages whereby air forced from the first chamber into the second air chamber cannot flow back into the first air chamber.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the air outlet includes at least one outlet air passage having an air inlet end formed in the shoe within the second air chamber, the outlet air passage having an outlet end outside the first and second air chambers adjacent the person's foot so air forced through the outlet air passage is blown onto a portion of the person's foot to cool the foot.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further including a plurality of outlet air passages each of which has an air inlet end formed in the shoe within the second chamber and an outlet end outside the first chambers adjacent different portions of the person's foot so to cool the foot with air forced through the outlet air passages.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further including at least one vent passage for venting the circulated air from the shoe.  
     
     
         14 . A booty fitting within a person's shoe thereof for ventilating the person's foot as the person walks in the shoe comprising: 
 a sole fitting over the sole of the shoe and extending substantially the length of the shoe, the sole of the shoe having an arch formed therein and extending upwardly above the sole of the shoe, the sole of the booty the arch intermediate the length thereof for a rear portion of the sole of the booty and the sole of the shoe rearward of the arch to form a first air chamber, and a forward portion of the sole of the booty and the sole of the shoe forward of the arch to form a second air chamber;    a sidewall integrally formed with the sole of the booty and extending along the sides and around the heel of the shoe when the booty is fitted within the shoe;    an air passage formed in a heel portion of the sidewall and in fluid communication with the first air chamber for air to be drawn into the first air chamber through the air inlet when the person wearing the shoe steps upon their toes; and,    an air outlet formed in the toe portion of the sole of the booty for air drawn into the first air chamber to be expelled through the second air chamber to ventilate the person's foot, the air outlet including a plurality of air outlets formed in the sole of the booty whereby as the person transfers their weight from their toes to their heel, air forced into the second chamber is vented from through the outlets to ventilate the person's foot.    
     
     
         15 . The booty of  claim 14  further including a plate spring attached to a rear portion of the sole of the booty, the rear portion of the sole of the booty and the plate spring, together with the sole of the shoe, further defining the first air chamber.  
     
     
         16 . The booty of  claim 15  further including a lift spring also secured to the sole of the booty, the lift spring providing a lift to the person's heel and arch to provide a less stressful walk.  
     
     
         17 . The booty of  claim 16  wherein the plate spring and the lift spring can each have different compression strengths for the booty to be used by persons of different weights.  
     
     
         18 . The booty of  claim 14  including a first series of air outlet openings extending longitudinally of the booty generally along a centerline of the shoe.  
     
     
         19 . The booty of  claim 18  further including at least one series of air outlet openings arranged in an arcuate pattern outwardly of the openings extending along the centerline of the shoe.  
     
     
         20 . The booty of  claim 19  further including a plurality of air outlets comprising a number of series thereof, each series being arranged in an arcuate pattern successively outwardly of an inner series of such openings, each of the arcuate patterns being generally elliptical in curvature.