US20050172520A1

US20050172520A1 - Platform shoe with storage compartment

Info

Publication number: US20050172520A1
Application number: US10/774,438
Authority: US
Inventors: Terra Simmons-Gettig
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-02-10
Filing date: 2004-02-10
Publication date: 2005-08-11

Abstract

The platform shoe with a storage compartment is a shoe comprising a sole with an elevated base, having at least one accessible compartment disposed in the base. Access to the compartment may be made by a variety of methods, including a drawer received by the base, a hinged mechanism whereby a first portion of the base is removably attached to a second fixed portion of the base, a rotating mechanism whereby the compartment within the base is made accessible by rotating the moveable portion of the base, or by mechanism in which the moveable portion of the base is entirely or partially slidably removable from the fixed portion of the base. The platform shoe storage compartment is adaptable to any shoe or boot having an elevated sole.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shoes. More specifically, the invention is a platform shoe having a hollow compartment in the sole for storing small personal items.
2. Description of the Related Art
Whether to provide a hiding place, or to provide a storage compartment for small articles when no other means is available, shoes with hidden compartments have been the subject of previous patents. U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,411, issued to Martin in August 1949, discloses a lady's shoe having a concealed compartment accessible from the exterior of the shoe, without removing the shoe from the foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,991, issued to Neal in May of 1950, discloses a wedge-heeled shoe comprising a compartment with a hinged door, accessible by key. U.S. Pat. No. 2,897,609, issued to Bodkin in August of 1959, discloses a readily accessible storage cavity within the heel of a shoe, providing ready access while maintaining the normal external appearance and maintaining strength, comfort and good wearing qualities of the shoe.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,901, issued to Goldstein in September of 1959, discloses a shoe having a compartment in the heel, incorporating a novel locking mechanism. The compartment is inserted into the heel against the frictional resistance of tongues, which tongues hold the container in a releasable locked position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,174,234, issued to Weitzner in March of 1965, discloses a shoe heel having a compartment in which a collapsed overshoe is stored. U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,982, issued to Gamm in October of 1985, discloses a wraparound pocket for footwear, comprising a pair of liners, one being an inner liner, the other being an outer liner where one of the liners has a slot provided therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,008, issued to Ruff in July of 1999, discloses an athletic shoe having a drawer slidably received within a compartment in the heel for storing articles within the heel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,920 issued to Morris et al. in March of 2001, discloses athletic footwear having a upwardly raised recess in the sole of the shoe wherein a low friction grind plate with compartment for storing components is formed.
French patent No. 910,292 published in January of 1946, discloses a shoe comprising a hollow compartment, with a door, in its wedge heel. Furthermore, German Patent No. 3,824,352, published in February 1990, discloses a safe box inserted into a shaft housing formed in the heel region of the foamed soft sole of a leisure and sports shoe. The safe box can accommodate small valuable articles in a theft proof manner.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a platform shoe with storage compartment solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The platform shoe with storage compartment is a platform shoe having a hollow compartment in the base of an elevated sole for storing small personal items. Platform shoes are more than functional footwear. Chic and stylish, platform shoes boasting a 3-inch base and an over 7-inch heel are fashion accessories designed to make a bold personal statement. The platform shoe with hidden compartment has been developed for social functions and occasions for which other means of carrying small articles and valuables may be unavailable or undesirable. At parties and dances where the wearer may prefer to dance the night away unencumbered by a handbag, having a hidden compartment for keys, driver's license, money, and other small but necessary articles may be the ideal solution.
The platform shoe with hidden compartment in the sole has a number of different embodiments differentiated by the method of accessing the hidden compartment. These embodiments include, but are not limited to a rotating base, a front accessible drawer, a base that slides forward, and a hinged mounted base that opens from the side, front or rear. Depending upon the specific embodiment of the invention, access to the compartment may be controlled by means of door with a spring style lock, a keyed lock, a snap or a variety of closure mechanisms.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a platform shoe with a hidden compartment in the sole for storing small articles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fashionable shoe with a hidden compartment.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a platform shoe with a hidden compartment in the sole that can securely contain articles that would normally be too large to hide in a heel compartment.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a shoe with multiple hidden compartments in the sole for separating items and minimizing the accompanying noise during walking.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with a storage compartment slidable on the upper section of the sole according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with a storage compartment in the base of the sole accessible by hinged front portion.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with a storage compartment in the sole pivotally attached at the toe and accessible by rotating the rear of the sole.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with a storage compartment in the sole hinged at the toe portion.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with storage compartment in the base of the sole, hinged on the bottom of the compartment along the length of the base.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a platform shoe with a hidden drawer along the inside surface of the base of the sole.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a platform boot having an elevated sole with a hinged storage compartment accessible from the rear of the base of the sole.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a platform boot with a hidden drawer compartment slidably received by the rear of the base sole portion of the boot.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a platform shoe with hidden compartments, providing the wearer with a readily accessible and securable storage location for small articles.
Platform shoes, designed to make a bold fashion statement, have a sole comprising a base approximately three inches high and a heel which may be over seven inches tall. The height of the base and the heel may vary dependent upon the comfort of the wearer and the social function attended.
As shown in FIG. 1, the platform shoe 100 is designed to conceal at least one compartment 104 in the base 112 of the elevated sole 102. The base 112 is removably attached to the upper portion 106 of the sole 102. The base 112 slides forward, providing access to the compartments 104 within. Although the sole 102 and the heel 110 may be manufactured as an integral unit, the preferred embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-8 disclose the heel 110 separate from the sole 102, affording the wearer a more fashionable shoe and one less suspect of having a hidden compartment within. Advantageously, by providing the compartment(s) 104 in the base 112 instead of the heel 110, more storage space is provided for the compartment(s) 104, and the heel 110 may be made thinner, narrower, more tapered, or other fashionable design than is the storage compartment were built into the heel 110.
A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2 and discloses a platform shoe 200 with a sole having a two part base 202, the rear portion 204 fixedly attached to the upper portion 216 of the sole, and a forward portion 206 joined to the rear portion 204 by a hinge 208 mounted along the bottom of the base 202. The forward portion 206 opens downward, exposing the compartments 210 hidden within. The alignment of the forward and rear portions 206, 204 is such that the seam 214 between the two portions 206, 204 is unnoticeable to the casual observer.
A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3, and discloses a platform shoe 300 having a sole with hidden compartments 308 in a rotating base 302. The compartments are accessible by rotating the base 302 about a point of attachment 306 with the upper portion 310 of the sole. The attachment means may be a metal or plastic rivet or any known fastener disposed at the front of the base 302. A tab 304, disposed on the upper rear portion of the base 302 engages a stop (not shown) on the underneath of the upper portion 310 of the shoe 300 and serves to prevent inadvertent opening of the compartments 308. The tab 304 and stop may be made of high impact plastic or metal and will maintain their functionality during both normal use and high impact dancing. Other locking mechanisms are envisioned depending upon the specific embodiment of the compartment mechanism and may include but is not limited to a spring style lock, a keyed lock, a snap or a variety of closure mechanisms known to those knowledgeable in the art.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by the platform shoe 400 shown in FIG. 4, and discloses an elevated sole having a base 402 with hidden compartments therein, the base 402 hinged to the front of the upper portion 406 of the sole. Opening downward, a locking mechanism 404, prevents inadvertent opening of the hidden compartments 408.
A fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5 and discloses a platform shoe 500 having a hollow base 502 with hidden compartments 508 disposed therein. The base 502 is split along the longitudinal axis of the base 502 and forms an inner compartment 514 and an outer compartment 512 hinged along the bottom of the base 502.
The left side of the right shoe, and the right side of the left shoe, normally face each other, making the surface details of these sides less observable to the casual observer. A drawer or other access disposed on the inner sides of a shoe may then afford a wearer ready, but discreet access by the casual crossing of one's legs. The outer compartment 512 is fixedly attached to the upper portion 516 of the sole, while the inner compartment 514 is hinged by means of at least one piano hinge 510 to the lower portion of the fixed outer compartment 512. A locking mechanism 506 mounted on the rear portion of the fixed compartment 512, receives the locking tab 504 mounted on the hinged portion 514 of the base 502.
FIG. 6 discloses platform shoe 600 having a hidden drawer 604 received by an opening disposed within the base 602 of the sole. A key 614 and key lock 612 or other locking mechanism known to those skilled in the art secures the drawer 604 in place despite the forces sustained by the base 602 during normal and high impact use. As previously disclosed in FIG. 5, the inner, side-facing surfaces 608, 610 of a pair of shoes are normally less subject to scrutiny. In the preferred embodiment, the drawer 604 is slidably received by an opening disposed on either or both of these less observed inner surfaces 608, 610. The drawer 604, disposed on the inside of the shoe 606, is hidden from casual view, but affords ease of access by simply crossing one's legs.
Hidden compartments within the forward portion of the sole of a shoe may be incorporated in almost any shoe design, as further illustrated by the platform boot 700 shown in FIG. 7. The base 702 of the sole is hollow and is comprised of a forward compartment 706 and a rear compartment 704. The forward compartment 706 is fixedly attached to the upper portion 710 of the sole of the boot 700. The rear compartment 704 is connected to the forward portion 706 by means of a hinge 708 disposed between the two compartments on the bottom of the base 702. Locking tab 710 secures the hinged portion 704 in place.
FIG. 8 discloses another embodiment of a platform boot 800 with hidden compartments, and discloses a hidden drawer 804 received by a recess in the rear of the base 802 of the sole.
It will be noted that in all embodiments of the present invention, there is a platform base which extends from the toe to about the front of the arch of the foot, and a separate heel, so that the platform does not extend continuously from the toe to the heel.
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A platform shoe with storage compartment, comprising:

an upper;

a sole having:

an upper portion adapted for extending from heel to toe of a wearer of the shoe, the upper being attached to the upper portion of the sole; and

a base having a front, a rear, a left side, a right side, the base having a height of at least one inch in order to define a platform, the base being attached to a bottom surface of the upper portion of the sole;

a heel attached to the upper portion of the sole; and

wherein the base is hollow and defines at least one compartment.

2. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein said base is separate from said heel, said base extending from a toe portion of the upper sole to an arch portion of the upper sole.

3. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein said compartment defines an opening within said base.

4. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 3, wherein the opening is disposed in said rear of said base.

5. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 3, wherein the opening is disposed in the right side of said base.

6. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 3, wherein the opening is disposed in the left side of said base.

7. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 3, further comprising a drawer slidable in the opening, the drawer having an open position and a closed position.

8. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 7, further comprising means for retaining said drawer in the closed position.

9. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 8, wherein said retaining means comprises a lock and key mechanism.

10. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein said base further comprises a first portion fixedly attached to the upper portion of said sole, and a second portion removably attached to the first portion of said base.

11. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein said base further comprises a first portion fixedly attached to the upper portion of said sole, and a second portion at least partially attached to the first portion.

12. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 11, further comprising a hinge joining the first and second portions of said base.

13. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 11, wherein said second portion is rotatably connected to said first portion.

13. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 1, wherein said base is made of a lightweight synthetic material.

14. A platform shoe with storage compartment, comprising:

an upper;

a sole having:

a base having a front, a rear, a left side, a right side, the base having a height of at least one inch in order to define a platform, the base being attached to a bottom surface of the upper portion of the sole, the base extending from a toe portion to an arch portion of the upper portion of the sole, the base being hollow in order to define a compartment and having an opening into the compartment;

a heel attached to the upper portion of the sole; and

a drawer slidable in the opening.

15. A platform shoe with storage compartment, comprising:

an upper;

a sole having:

a heel attached to the upper portion of the sole; and

wherein said base further comprises a first portion joined to the upper portion of said sole, and a second portion at least partially removably attached to the first portion.

16. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 15, further comprising a hinge connecting said first portion and said second portion.

17. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 15, wherein the second portion of said base is rotatably connected to the first portion of said base.

18. The platform shoe with storage compartment according to claim 15, further comprising a locking mechanism securing the second portion of said base to the first portion of said base.