SHAPE MAINTENANCE ACCESSORY FOR FOOTWEAR AND SIMILAR

Description

SIB UI427R DESCRIPTION of the utility model entitled: “SHAPE MAINTENANCE ACCESSORY FOR FOOTWEAR AND THE LIKE” on behalf of: 1) TOLLI Scilla of Rome (RM) - ITALY; and 2) PINI Giovanna of Rome (RM) - ITALY. This innovation refers to a shape-maintaining accessory for footwear in general; and in particular to an accessory especially, but not exclusively, suitable for maintaining the shape of men's and / or women's footwear models that are partially or totally open at the heel of the upper, corresponding to the heel, such as sandals, clogs, slippers and the like. Currently, devices designed to maintain the shape of footwear generally take the form of two-dimensional inserts with shapes of varying sizes that can be adapted to the model of the shoe to which they are applied, for example due to the elastic properties of the material from which they are made; or they consist of substantially rigid bodies designed to support, by insertion into the shoe, the toe and / or heel area of ​​the upper. In the most common form of the second of the aforementioned types of shoe lasts, a first front element is provided, capable of engaging with the portion of the shoe intended for the toes; a second heel element capable of engaging with the portion of the shoe that accommodates the heel; and an oblong spacing element in an intermediate position, capable of cooperating at their respective ends with said first and second elements so as to keep them, for example by means of elastic forces exerted by springs and the like, in contact with the internal walls of the shoe. This type of device is disadvantageously characterized by a structural complication that is often not proportionate to the simplicity of the function for which it is intended. The most frequently encountered drawback for these types of shoe lasts is a certain predisposition to the onset of malfunctions, for example due to jamming of the mechanism or breakage of some component. Furthermore, their insertion often requires the user to perform complex and forced maneuvers, which are not always easy or immediately intuitive, and which can also cause damage to the footwear. There are variants of shoe lasts that consist of a lower film portion and an upper film portion, commonly made of polymeric material, sewn together at the perimeter area, defining a pocket suitable for housing generally non-elastic granular material, for example siliceous, typically sand. The profile of the aforementioned portions, in cooperation with the siliceous filling material, gives the accessory a shape useful for supporting the upper of a shoe and keeping it “in shape”. In the prior art, however, this type of accessory, in order to perform an effective function of supporting the shape of the shoe, must necessarily extend over the entire sole of a shoe and is therefore not specifically designed to function even by engaging with the tip of a shoe alone, for example in the case of a women's shoe open at the heel area. For this reason, the aforementioned accessories integrate a rear apical part which, resting on the area of ​​the shoe corresponding to the heel, supports it and at the same time guarantees the adhesion of an opposite front apical part to the area of ​​the shoe corresponding to the toe. Furthermore, there are no insertion / extraction rings or other means of facilitating application inside the shoe and its removal. Japanese patent application JP 2003189910 A refers to an elastic insert, substantially two-dimensional, with wings suitable for being folded onto the toe of a shoe so that the elastic force exerted by them on the inside of the upper, once released after folding, keeps the shoe in shape. The insert is made up of a paper base, stiffened by a vulcanized fiber covering. The insert includes appendages designed to cooperate with the heel area of ​​the upper for relative support, including at the rear. The use of such an insert is considerably complicated by the complex folding operations that a user must perform to correctly position the accessory on the toe of a shoe, operations which are clearly evident from the drawings attached to the aforementioned patent. Furthermore, an incorrect positioning would compromise the achievement of effective support for the shape of a shoe, even producing an effect opposite to the desired one if the elastic forces developed by the fins were to be poorly directed as a result of their non-virtuous overlapping. Currently, there is no shape-maintaining accessory for footwear that is elastic and features its own adaptable anatomical shape, capable of supporting the upper of a shoe by engaging at the toe of such a shoe, without the need to simultaneously engage with the heel area of ​​such a shoe; and also equipped with ergonomic gripping features thanks to the integration of practical gripping means for application to and removal from a shoe. There is therefore a need for a shape-maintaining accessory for footwear that can overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. The aim of this innovation is therefore to respond to this need. This object is achieved by a shape-maintaining accessory for footwear as defined in claim 1. The accessory according to this innovation can be comfortably and advantageously held with one hand by a user, thanks to the integration of practical ring gripping means, for easy application to a shoe and / or for quick extraction from such a shoe. Thanks to its shape, the accessory according to this innovation performs an effective support function by engaging only with a substantially lateral-anterior portion of the upper, without the need to cooperate with a rear portion of the upper of a shoe, making it advantageously usable also for those shoe models that provide partial or total openings in the heel area. Thanks to its elastic behavior, the accessory according to this innovation adapts and adheres to multiple shoe shapes and sizes. As will be evident from the following description, the accessory according to this innovation lends itself to simple construction and particularly economical production. The production costs of the accessory according to this innovation are in fact very limited since it can be advantageously mass-produced. Further advantages, as well as the characteristics and methods of use of this innovation will become evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, presented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, with reference to the figures of the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partially broken-away exploded perspective view of a shape-maintaining accessory for footwear according to the present innovation, designed to highlight its various components and structure. internal; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the accessory of Figure 1 in its overall assembled configuration; Figure 3 is a top perspective view illustrating a first non-operational configuration of the accessory of Figure 1, prior to fitting it into a shoe, in which said accessory is substantially detached from said shoe; and Figure 4 is a top perspective view illustrating a second operational configuration of the accessory of Figure 1, applied to a shoe, in which said accessory is substantially engaged in said shoe. With initial reference to figures 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of the shape-maintaining accessory 1 for footwear and the like according to the present innovation comprises a main body 2, preferably made of substantially elastic material, having a shape suitable for supporting the upper 101 of a footwear 100; and gripping means, integral with said main body 2, for applying the accessory 1 to said footwear 100. As exemplified respectively in figures 3 and 4, the shape-maintaining accessory 1 for footwear is capable of assuming a first non-operational configuration a, substantially independent of the footwear 100; and a second operational configuration P for application to said footwear 100, so as to internally support the upper and therefore preserve its shape. The aforementioned means for gripping the accessory according to the present innovation have the purpose of facilitating its grasping by a user when he wishes to apply it to the shoe 100 by bringing it to assume said second operational configuration P; or when he wishes to remove it from the shoe 100 by bringing it to assume said first non-operational configuration a. Preferably, such gripping means are substantially shaped like a ring 3 and are made of rigid material, for example metal. The ring gripping means 3 can be made removably integral with the main body 2 by means of a fastening strap 4, as can be seen from figure 2. The shape-maintaining accessory 1 according to the present innovation is evidently sized in such a way that the ring-shaped gripping means 3, in the operating configuration a for applying the accessory 1, are positioned in correspondence with a wearing opening A typically obtained on the shoe 100 for inserting the foot of a wearer. The aforementioned sizing can be optimized so that such advantageous positioning of the ring 3 in correspondence with the wearing opening A of the shoe 100 is in any case obtained for a multiplicity of shapes and models of the shoe 100. As illustrated in figure 1, the main body 2 preferably has a recess 5, for example substantially circumferential, suitable for housing such ring-shaped gripping means 3. From the partially sectioned view in figure 1, it can be deduced that the main body 2 has a covering jacket M, preferably deformable, for example in synthetic fabric, suitable for covering an internal core C, with preferably elastic padding. The elastic padding of the internal core C can be advantageously integrated with a perfuming material capable of releasing corresponding aromatic essences, dispersed for example with variable granulometries or in any case distributed in particles or pieces. In this way, the function of preserving the shape is combined with the additional benefit of giving the shoes a pleasant scent and simultaneously increasing the pleasantness of the environment in which they are stored. The shape-maintaining accessory 1 according to the present innovation is characterised in particular by a conformation such that, when in said operational application configuration p, the main body 2 is able to cooperate with a substantially lateral-anterior portion P of the upper 101 of the footwear 100, removably engaging in the region between the external covering and the internal sole of said footwear 100. In this way, the shape of the shoe 100 is maintained, while at the same time a substantially rear portion T of the upper 101 is left free. Accessory 1 is therefore freed from the need, for its effective application, of a contrast typically provided in cases of prior art by a substantially rear portion T of the upper 101 of the shoe. 100, said substantially rearward portion T being adapted to cooperate with a rearward end of a conventional shoe last holding device. Thanks to this, the accessory 1 can be advantageously used to maintain the shape of shoes that are even partially or totally open at the heel area, as often happens in the case of women's shoes, particularly for the summer season, or in slipper, sandal or sabot models. This innovation has been described up to now according to a preferred embodiment thereof, presented for illustrative and non-limiting purposes. It is to be understood that other forms may be envisaged, all of which are to be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the same, as defined by the attached claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Accessory (1) for maintaining the shape of footwear and the like, capable of assuming a first non-operational configuration (a), substantially independent of a footwear (100), and a second operational configuration (P) for application to said footwear (100), comprising: • a main body (2), made of substantially elastic material, having a shape suitable for supporting the upper (101) of said footwear (100); and • gripping means, integral with said main body (2), for the application of said accessory (1) to said shoe (100) in said second operational configuration (P) and / or for extraction from said shoe (100) in said first non-operational configuration (a); wherein said gripping means are substantially shaped like a ring (3); and furthermore wherein, when in said operational application configuration (P), said main body (2) is able to cooperate with a substantially lateral-anterior portion (P) of the upper (101) of said footwear (100) , removably engaging in the region between the external lining and the internal sole of said footwear (100), so as to ensure the maintenance of the shape of said footwear (100), at the same time leaving free a substantially rear portion (T) of the upper (101) .

2. Shape-maintaining accessory (1) according to claim 1, wherein said main body (2) has a recess (5) suitable for housing said ring gripping means (3).

3. Shape-maintaining accessory (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said main body (2) has a deformable covering skirt (M) suitable for covering an internal core (C) of elastic padding.

4. Shape-maintaining accessory (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, sized in such a way that said ring-shaped gripping means (3), in said operating configuration (a) for application of said accessory (1), are positioned in correspondence with a wearing opening (A) made on said footwear (100).

5. Shape-maintaining accessory (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said ring gripping means (3) are made of metal.

6. Shape-maintaining accessory (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said ring-shaped gripping means (3) are made removably integral with said main body (2) by means of a fastening strap (4). pp: TOLLI Scilla PINI Giovanna YES OR