High heel shoe heel construction

Abstract

A heel construction for a high heeled shoe 11 includes a sole plate 10 and a heel pin 12 projecting downwardly from the sole plate. A detachable heel component 16 is fitted to the heel pin and a releasable locking arrangement serves to secure the heel component to the heel pin. The locking arrangement may comprise a threaded region 20 on the pin and engageable by a nut 23 carried in the heel component 16 or may comprise snap fittings 52,57 on the heel pin and within the heel component, to secure the heel component to the heel pin.

1 . A heel construction for a high heel shoe comprising a sole plate and a heel pin secured to and projecting from the sole plate, the heel pin having a screw-threaded region extending for at least part of the length of the heel pin, and a heel component having a required external configuration and an elongate hole in which the heel pin is received, the heel component having a transverse slot aligned with a part of the threaded region of the heel pin when located thereon, and a nut rotatably located in the slot and engaged with the threaded region of the heel pin, the nut being configured to permit the turning thereof for tightening the heel component on to the sole plate. 
     
     
         2 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the axial thickness of the nut and the axial width of the slot are such that the nut is a close rotational fit within the slot. 
     
     
         3 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nut is of essentially circular form and has an outer periphery profiled to facilitate the turning thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a segment of the nut projects out of the slot to facilitate the turning thereof, and wherein means are provided to retain the nut in the slot. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the slot in the heel component opens through a forwardly-facing surface of the heel component. 
     
     
         7 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the threaded region of the heel pin extends from adjacent the sole plate for a part of the length of the heel pin. 
     
     
         8 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein non-threaded part of the heel pin is of circular cross-section and means are provided to restrain rotation of the heel component about the axis of the heel pin. 
     
     
         9 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said means comprise inter-engaging formations on the sole plate and the heel component. 
     
     
         10 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said inter-engaging formations comprise a non-circular projection provided on one of the sole plate and heel component and a corresponding non-circular recess on the other of the sole plate and heel component. 
     
     
         11 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the non-circular projection is provided on the sole plate and the non-circular recess is formed in a face of the heel component confronting the sole plate. 
     
     
         12 . A heel construction for a high heel shoe comprising a sole plate and a heel pin secured to and projecting from the sole plate, the heel pin having a transverse groove formed therein part way between the ends of the heel pin, and a heel component having a required external configuration and an elongate hole in which the heel pin is received, the heel component having a transverse slot aligned with the groove of the heel pin when located thereon, and a locking member provided in the slot and releasably engaged with the groove thereby to retain the heel component on the heel pin. 
     
     
         13 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein retention means are provided to hold the locking member in the slot, when fully engaged with the groove in the heel pin, wherein the locking member is in the form of a plate slidingly received in the slot in the heel component wherein the retention means comprise at least one spring clip provided on one of the locking plate and heel component and co-acting with the other of the locking plate and heel component, wherein the slot in the heel component opens through a rearwardly-facing surface of the heel component, and wherein the locking member has an external face which is exposed when the locking member is in the slot in the heel component, and the profile of said external face matches that of the heel component in the vicinity of the slot. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A heel construction for a high heel shoe comprising a sole plate and a heel pin secured to and projecting from the sole plate, and a heel component having a required external configuration and an elongate hole in which the heel pin is received, there being at least one socket formed in one of the heel component and the heel pin, and a corresponding number of engagement members as sockets, the or each engagement member provided on the other of the heel component and the heel pin or on the sole plate, the or each engagement member being a releasable snap-fit into the at least one socket when the heel component is fully located on the heel pin thereby to hold the heel component on the heel pin. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the or each engagement member co-acts with its corresponding socket in a direction generally at right angles to the axis of the heel pin, and wherein the or each engagement member is formed as a part of the heel component and the or each at least one socket is provided on the heel pin or on the sole plate. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the at least one socket is provided on a boss upstanding from the sole plate, wherein the boss is received in a recess formed in a face of the heel component confronting the sole plate, and the or each engagement member is provided in the recess and wherein the boss is non-circular and configuration of the recess is complementary to that of the boss whereby the inter-fitting of the boss in the recess restrains rotation of the heel component about the axis of the heel pin. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the heel pin has an enlarged cross-section at a position spaced from the sole plate and the elongate hole in the heel component has a shoulder at a position to co-act with the enlarged cross-section on the side thereof nearer to the sole plate when the heel component is fully located on the heel pin, thereby to assist retention of the heel component on the heel pin. 
     
     
         26 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein an enlarged head is provided at or adjacent the free end of the heel pin and the elongate hole in the heel component has a shoulder at a position to co-act with the enlarged head when the heel component is fully located on the heel pin thereby to assist retention of the heel component on the heel pin. 
     
     
         27 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 24 , wherein the interaction of the enlarged section or enlarged head and the shoulder or shoulders of the elongate hole are configured to be snap-fitting. 
     
     
         28 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the heel component is a two part heel component which when assembled has the required external configuration and defines the elongate hole in which the heel pin is housed, the two parts of the heel component having inter-engageable locking members which serve to hold the parts together, and there being co-operating means on the assembled heel component and the heel pin to resist removal of the assembled heel component from the heel pin. 
     
     
         29 . A heel construction as claimed in  claim 28 , wherein the inter-engageable locking members of the two parts of the heel component comprise a tab projecting from one of the parts and receivable in an opening in the other part, wherein the tab projecting from one of the parts includes a barb feature which engages behind a surface of the other part defining the opening, wherein the inter-engageable locking members are in the form of snap-fitting members releasable by the application of a sufficient separating force thereto, and wherein said co-operating means comprise a peg on one of a heel component part and the heel pin, the peg being receivable in a recess in the other of the heel component part and the heel pin. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . (canceled)