Warming rack for articles of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10292457-B2
Application number	US-201715824267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2017
Priority date	Nov 29, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

A warming rack for holding footwear includes a base and an array of support posts supported by the base. The base defines a length extending between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges. The array of support posts is configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base. Each support posts includes a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the base to a bend line, and a second portion extending at an angle relative to the first direction from the bend line to a terminal end. The second portion is configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating system for warming footwear, the heating system comprising:
a housing defining a chamber configured to hold a quantity of water;
a heating element disposed within the chamber and operative to heat the quantity of water;
a warming rack disposed within the chamber and configured to hold a plurality of articles of footwear, the warming rack including a base and an array of support posts configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the support posts are received by an interior void of the footwear;
the base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges, the base including a lateral axis that bisects the length of the base into a first zone and a second zone, the first zone of the base configured to support a first group of the support posts and the second zone of the base configured to support a second group of the support posts; and
the array of support posts being supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear.

2. The heating system of claim 1 , wherein the terminal ends of the support posts are disposed further from the base than the bend lines of the support posts.

3. The heating system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the support posts includes an engagement feature disposed on the terminal end, the engagement feature configured to engage interior surfaces of the corresponding article of footwear when the second portion is received by the interior void of the footwear.

4. The heating system of claim 1 , wherein the array of support posts includes a first series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends, and a second series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to the other one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends.

5. The heating system of claim 4 , wherein a first line passes through each of the terminal ends of the first series of support posts and a second line passes through each of the terminal ends of the second series of support posts, the first line and the second line each extending substantially parallel to the opposing side edges along the length of the base.

6. The heating system of claim 4 , wherein the array of support posts includes a third series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed a substantially equal distance away from each of the opposing side edges as their respective proximal ends.

7. The heating system of claim 6 , wherein each adjacent pair of the third series of support posts includes one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end and the other one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to the other one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end.

8. A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:
a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges; and
an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear;
the array of support posts includes a first series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends, and a second series of support posts having their respective terminal ends collinearly spaced apart from one another along the length of the base and disposed closer to the other one of the opposing side edges than their respective proximal ends; and
wherein each adjacent pair of the first series of support posts and the second series of support posts includes one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end and the other one of the support posts having the respective terminal end disposed closer to the other one of the first end and the second end of the base than the respective proximal end.

9. A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:
a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear above the base, each support post having a first portion extending from a proximal end in a first direction to a bend line, and each support post also having a second portion extending from the bend line at an angle relative to the first direction to a terminal end, the second portion configured to retain a corresponding article of footwear in a fixed position when the second portion is received by an interior void of the footwear;
the base defines a lateral axis that bisects the length of the base into a first zone and a second zone, the first zone of the base configured to support a first group of the support posts and the second zone of the base configured to support a second group of the support posts; and
the second portions in each of the first group of the support posts extend toward their respective terminal ends in different directions away from one another, and the second portions of the second group of the support posts extend toward their respective terminal ends in different directions away from one another.

10. The warming rack of claim 1 , wherein one of the second portions in the first group of the support posts extends toward the respective terminal end in a second direction and one of the second portions of the second group of the support posts extends toward the respective terminal end in a third direction.

11. The warming rack of claim 10 , wherein the second direction and the third direction extend away from one another.

12. The warming rack of claim 10 , wherein the second direction and the third direction are converging.

13. The warming rack of claim 10 , wherein the second direction is substantially parallel to the third direction.

14. A warming rack for holding footwear, the footwear rack comprising:
a base defining a length between a first end and a second end and a width between a pair of opposing side edges;
an array of support posts supported by the base and configured to retain multiple articles of footwear abov

Assignees

• Acorn Eng Co

Inventors

• Adkison Christopher
• Cornish Christopher

Classifications

• A43D95/12

  Devices for conditioning, tempering, or moistening (preparatory to pulling-over or lasting A43D11/14) · CPC title

• A43B3/26

  adjustable as to length or size · CPC title

• A43D3/1408

  Devices for heating or drying shoes · CPC title

• A43D95/10 Primary

  Drying or heating devices for shoes · CPC title

• A47B61/04

  for shoes, hats, umbrellas, or the like {(shoe racks as an implement for the manufacture of shoes A43D117/00)} · CPC title