US3632963A

US3632963A - Footwear-heating mold

Info

Publication number: US3632963A
Application number: US862848A
Authority: US
Inventors: Andre Bosse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-10-01
Filing date: 1969-10-01
Publication date: 1972-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-01-04

Abstract

A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or a boot to heat and dry the same, comprising a shoelike structure made of heat-conducting material, a heating element located inside such structure, and electric conductors connected to the heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing the heating element.

Description

United States Patent 2,078,675 4/1937 Lockwood 219/552 X 1,054,259 2/1913 219/215 X 1,058,963 11/1920 219/215 X 1,543,828 6/1925 219/215 X 1,733,611 10/1929 219/215 X 2,063,370 12/1936 Dutton 12/128.5 2,712,051 6/1955 Schramm 219/523 Primary Examiner-C. L. Albritton Attorney-Raymond A. Robic ABSTRACT: A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or a boot to heat and dry the same, comprising a shoelike structure made of heat-conducting material, a heating element located inside such structure, and electric conductors con nected to the heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing the heating element.

PATENTED-lll 4m 3632.963 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR Andre SSE A TT NEY FOOTWEAR-HEATING MOLD This invention relates to a footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or a boot to heat and dry the same.

Electric devices for warming the feet have been used for years. However, such devices generally comprise heating pads or electrodes which are permanently secured to a shoe and consequently form an integral part thereof.

n the contrary, the main feature of the invention is to provide a footwear-heating mold which is removable from the footwear and may be inserted into shoes or boots of various sizes for heating or drying the same before use. The heating mold in accordance with the invention is consequently not a pennanent part of the footwear.

The footwear-heating mold, in accordance with the invention, comprises a shoelike structure of heat-conducting material, a heating element located inside said structure, and electric conductors connected to said heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing said heating element.

The invention will now be disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a footwear-heating mold;

FIG. 2 illustrates the sole part of the mold illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 illustrates a section taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention positioned inside a boot; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of an integrally molded structure in accordance with the invention.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, there is shown a footwearheating mold comprising a heat-conducting body including an upper part 12 made in the shape of a shoe and a lower part 14 made in the shape of a sole. A heating element 16 is positioned in cooperating slots in the heat-conducting body 10 and insulated therefrom. The heating element 16 is connected to electric conductors 18 which are adapted for connection to a power source (not shown). The upper and

lower parts

12 and 14 are secured together by means of screws 20.

The heat-conducting body 10 may be made of any heat-conducting material which may be molded or shaped in the desired form.

The heating mold also comprises a handle 22 secured to the upper part 12 of the shoe. The handle 22 is covered with a layer 24 of heat-insulating plastic to prevent burning of the fingers when a warm mold is withdrawn from a shoe.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention comprising an heat-conducting structure 40 positioned inside a boot 42. Heat-conducting body 40 includes an upper part 44 and a lower part 46 secured together by means of bolts 48. A

lower plate 50 is welded or otherwise secured to lower part 46 of the shoelike structure while an upper plate 52 is secured by means of screws 54 to lower plate 50. Lower and

upper plates

50 and 52 have cooperating embossments formed therein for receiving a heating element 56 which is electrically insulated from the

plates

50 and 52.

To the upper plate 52 is secured a tenninal block 58 to which are attached the terminals of heating element 56 and the terminals of electric conductors 60 by means of bolts 62 and 64. A thermoswitch 66 is also secured to the upper plate 52 and connected in series with the heating element 56 for deenergizing the heating element when the temperature of the mold has reached a predetermined value.

The electric conductors 60 protrude through the upper part 44 of the heating mold and are insulated therefrom by means of the insulating sleeve 68.

A handle 70 is also secured to the upper part 44 of the mold and is covered by a layer 72 of heat-insulating material to prevent burning of the fingers when the heating mold is withdrawn from the boot 42.

FIG. 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention in which the heatinfi mold is made of an integrally molded shoelike structure Omcludingahandle 82 mol ed therewith.

A heating element 84 is embedded in the shoelike structure and conductors 86, which are connected to heating element 84, are embedded in handle 82.

I claim:

1. A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or boot to heat and dry the same comprising a shoelike structure of heat-conducting material made of two parts secured together, a heating element, a first and a second plate secured to each other and mounted within the two parts of said shoelike structure, said first and second plates having cooperating embossments therein for receiving said heating element, electric conductors connected to said heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing said heating element, and a thermoswitch secured to one of said plates and connected in series with said heating element for automatically deenergizing said heating element when the temperature of the mold has reached .a predetermined value.

2. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 1 wherein said second plate includes a terminal block secured thereto and to which are attached the terminals of the heating element and of the electric conductors.

3. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim I, further comprising a handle secured to said mold in the upper part thereof for withdrawing the mold from the shoe or boot.

4, A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 3, wherein said handle is covered with a heat-insulating plastic material for preventing burning of the fingers when the mold is withdrawn from the shoe or boot.

Claims

1. A footwear-heating mold for insertion inside a shoe or boot to heat and dry the same comprising a shoelike structure of heatconducting material made of two parts secured together, a heating element, a first and a second plate secured to each other and mounted within the two parts of said shoelike structure, said first and second plates having cooperating embossments therein for receiving said heating element, electric conductors connected to said heating element and adapted for connection to a power source for energizing said heating element, and a thermoswitch secured to one of said plates and connected in series with said heating element for automatically deenergizing said heating element when the temperature of the mold has reached a predetermined value.

3. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 1, further comprising a handle secured to said mold in the upper part thereof for withdrawing the mold from the shoe or boot.

4. A footwear-heating mold as defined in claim 3, wherein said handle is covered with a heat-insulating plastic material for preventing burning of the fingers when the mold is withdrawn from the shoe or boot.