Other

Deckers Outdoor Corporation

Samtec Incorporated

Wenonah Canoe, Inc.

Thatcher; Mark

Brett D Ritter

Barry J McGeough

Damon R Butler

Zenon O Smotrycz

Edward J Norton

Todd Bradley

Michael E Munter

Bryon Schroeder

Lindsay M Evans

Martin L Flora

John E LaFata

Rodney L Cameron

Carl R Taylor, Jr

Various embodiments of garments for use in conjunction with knee pads are disclosed. In one embodiment, the knee pads can be integrated into the garment. The garment can include leg gathering devices for positioning the knee pads over the knees of the wearer when the knee pads are needed. Releasing the leg gathering devices, on the other hand, allows the pants to drape normally. In an alternative embodiment, a knee pad can be provided that can be releasably attached to a garment. In this embodiment, the garment can include a plurality of engaging devices for attachment to the knee pad. The engaging devices can be positioned at different heights for allowing vertical adjustability.

System for integrating a knee pad into a garment

An outer mounting body is made of semi-soft material having a primarily flat planar shape formed with an upper housing portion, and an outer flange portion having a planar upper surface tapering from the housing portion to outer peripheral edges of the mounting body and adapted to be mounted to flexible or curved surfaces such as those of an inflatable surfboard. An inner mounting insert made of rigid material is molded within the outer mounting body and has an upper recess for sturdily mounting an object such as a surfboard fin. The inner mounting insert may be formed asymmetric for reversibly mounting left and right side fins near the edges of a surfboard.

System for mounting an object on a flexible or curved surface

A footwear securement system for closed footwear implements a strap ( ) having an X-configuration across the instep of the wearer's foot. The X-configuration instep strap ( ) acts to secure the entire circumference of a wearer's foot to the footwear sole. Further, the X-configuration instep strap ( ) allows for contraction and expansion of the ankle when the foot's main tendon that travels down the front of the leg and across the instep of the foot is cyclically tightened and loosened during walking or running. The X-strap ( ) may optionally travel through a channel ( ) located in the sole to allow for further strap adjustment during activity.

Footwear securement system

A strapping system for footwear comprises a strap ( ) that has a first end ( ) connected to a first side of a heel portion ( ) of footwear, passes over the instep of a foot, through a channel ( ) extending through the midfoot of the footwear sole and back over the foot instep to thereby forming an X shape over the wearer's foot. The strap ( ) has a second end ( ) which may be adjustably connected to the second side of a heel portion ( ) of a sole. The channel ( ) is resilient and rigid so as to allow the strap freedom of movement during use: thereby achieving a dynamic and self adjusting strap fit. A footwear sole comprises relatively soft forefoot and heel portions with a more rigid shank portion therebetween to provide the sole with stiffness and torsional rigidity.

Footwear sole and arch strapping system

Surface of a shoe sole

Footwear

Tread surface

A self adjusting frame for footwear comprises a strap slideably passing through a plurality of connectors spaced apart and adjacent to the sole, the strap passing around the heel of the footwear and having its two ends connected to the footwear. Lacing crosses over the footwear upper, with the lacing slideably engaging the strap so that when the lacing is tightened the strap is likewise drawn tight. The lacing and strap combination thereby secures footwear to a foot about substantially the periphery of the foot, and further self adjusts to develop differently oriented foot securing force vectors for differently shaped feet. Footwear comprises lacing and a strap passing through a plurality of connectors spaced apart around a shoe, with the lacing slideably engaging the strap. As the lacing is tightened the strap is thereby drawn tight. The footwear is thus secured to a foot about substantially the periphery of the foot.

Self adjusting frame for footwear

A footwear sole comprises a foot-shaped sole of a relatively cushioned, low density polymer foam, with a higher density, harder midfoot shank portion integrally fused within it. The sole may be a unitary footwear sole or may have an outsole or insole adhered thereto. A method of manufacture of the sole comprises forming a polymer foam sole piece, stamping out a portion of the midfoot, forming a shank of higher hardness polymer foam to fit the stamped-out midfoot portion of the sole piece, fitting the shank into the sole piece, and hot compression molding the sole piece and shank to form a unitary, integral sole. The sole of the invention is particularly useful as a sandal sole.

Footwear sole with integrally molded shank

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Brett D Ritter