Inflatable Footwear Stretcher

Abstract

An apparatus for stretching footwear, wherein an inflatable bladder is inserted into the footwear at a desired location as determined by the user. The various embodiments of the apparatus allow for various areas of the footwear, including the instep, the vamp, the calf area or shaft, and other areas of the footwear to be uniformly expanded without causing damage to the footwear. In one embodiment, a bladder having a rounded peak is inserted into the toe-box of the footwear and inflated to a desired pressure. Alternatively, other embodiments may be inserted into the calf section of a footwear such as a boot to expand the material around the leg and calf of a user. An air valve allows for users to inflate the apparatus while said apparatus is inside of the footwear.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An inflatable footwear stretching apparatus comprising a shoe stretching apparatus comprising:
 a bladder comprising:
 an exterior surface; 
 an upper portion; 
 a lower portion; 
 an at least one air valve; and 
 an interior volume comprising an at least one chamber; 
   the upper portion making up an upwardly facing hemisphere of the bladder;   the lower portion, adjacent to the upper portion, making up a downwardly facing hemisphere of the bladder;   the exterior surface the area of the bladder facing outwardly;   the interior volume comprising the at least one chamber is housed within the bladder accessible by way of the at least one air valve.   
     
     
         2 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion comprises:
 a front panel comprising:
 a front convexity; and 
   a rear panel comprising:
 a rear convexity; 
   the front panel facing forwardly;   the rear panel, opposing the front panel, facing rearwardly;   the front convexity having a curved surface, tapering towards a top most point;   the rear convexity having a curved surface, tapering towards a top-most point wherein the top most point forms a rounded peak when examined from a side profile view.   
     
     
         3 . The shoe stretcher apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion further comprises:
 a top round as observed from a front view;   a left round as observed from a front view;   a right round as observed from a front view;   a top round as observed from a side profile;   a left round as observed from above; and   a right round as observed from above;   the top round as observed from a front view, is located at a top-most point of the bladder, forming a rounded peak;   the top round as observed from a side profile is located at the same position as the top round as observed from a front view, the top most point of the bladder, having a radius less than that of the top round as observed from a front view, forming a rounded area wherein the diameter of the top round as observed from a side profile comprising the minor axis and the top round as observed from a front view comprising the major axis;   the right round as observed from a front view is located at a vertex which is located at the right most point of the upper portion;   the left round as observed from a front view is positioned diametrically opposed to the right round as observed from a front view, wherein the left round as observed from a front view is located at a vertex which is located at the left-most point of the upper portion;   the left round as observed from above is located at the same location as the left round as observed from a front view, the left-most vertex of the bladder, wherein the conjunction of the front panel and the rear panel each form a radial component of the left round as observed from above;   the right round as observed from above is located at the same location as the right round as observed from a front view, diametrically opposed to the left-most vertex of the bladder, wherein the conjunction of the front panel and the rear panel each form a radial component of the right round as observed from above.   
     
     
         4 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bladder further comprises a longitudinal seam spanning the circumference of the bladder, at the junction of the upper portion and lower portion. 
     
     
         5 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion comprises a convex bottom comprising:
 a first radius; and   a second radius;   the first radius aligned along the major axis of the ellipse;   the second radius aligned along the minor axis of the ellipse.   
     
     
         6 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one air valve comprises an air valve passage. 
     
     
         7 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the bladder comprises a longitudinal seam about the circumference of the bladder wherein said longitudinal seam separates the front panel from the rear panel. 
     
     
         8 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the exterior surface comprises a protruded shape. 
     
     
         9 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the exterior surface comprises markings selected from the group consisting of: lettered text, numeric text, pictorial graphics, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the at least one air valve comprises a protrusion comprising:
 a recessed seat;   an outer radius;   a bottom face;   the air valve passage;   an inner radius;   an inner wall; and   an outer wall;   the outer wall of the protrusion having an outer radius;   the inner wall of the protrusion having an inner radius;   the bottom face is the bottom-most surface of the protrusion wherein said surface is O-shaped;   the recessed seat located within a recess, wherein said recess is extruded into the protrusion, engaging a needle of a pump when being filled with a fluid;   the air valve passage is a hole through the recessed seat into the interior volume of the bladder, receiving the needle of a pump when being filled with a fluid.   
     
     
         11 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the protruded shape comprises a plurality of line segments and a plurality of rounded corners comprising a radius. 
     
     
         12 . An inflatable footwear stretching apparatus comprising a boot stretching apparatus comprising:
 a bladder comprising:
 an exterior surface; 
 an upper portion; 
 a lower portion; 
 an at least one air valve; and 
 an interior volume comprising an at least one chamber; 
   the upper portion making up an upwardly facing hemisphere of the bladder;   the lower portion, adjacent to the upper portion, making up a downwardly facing hemisphere of the bladder;   the exterior surface the area of the bladder facing outwardly;   the interior volume comprising the at least one chamber is housed within the bladder accessible by way of the at least one air valve.   
     
     
         13 . The boot stretcher apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the upper portion comprises an elliptical dome. 
     
     
         14 . The boot stretcher apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the bladder further comprises a longitudinal seam about the circumference of the exterior surface. 
     
     
         15 . The boot stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the lower portion of the bladder comprises a flat bottom and a rounded bevel, said rounded bevel comprising a radius. 
     
     
         16 . The boot stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the exterior surface comprises a protruded shape. 
     
     
         17 . The boot stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the at least one air valve comprises:
 an air valve passage where said air valve passage is a hole allowing a means for a fluid to enter into the interior volume of the bladder through the needle of a pump.   
     
     
         18 . The shoe stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the exterior surface comprises markings selected from the group consisting of: lettered text, numeric text, pictorial graphics, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . An inflatable footwear stretching apparatus comprising a boot stretching apparatus comprising:
 a bladder comprising an exterior surface and an interior volume comprising at least one chamber.   
     
     
         20 . The boot stretching apparatus as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the bladder comprises an at least one air valve comprising an air valve passage wherein the air valve passage is a hole through the exterior surface of the bladder into the interior volume of the bladder, receiving the needle of a pump when being filled with a fluid.