Field of invention

The invention relates to non-slip soles. More particularly the invention relates to the use of anti-slipping means incorporated in the shoe sole with an active position when it is slippery, e.g. outdoor in the winter, and a non-active position when it is not slippery, e.g. indoors.

Background of the Invention

It is a known problem that people slip and fall on ice. In Nordic countries there is a problem for the individual who may suffer different type fractures and a long period in hospital and lost earning, and for society as a loss for each year because of absence from work.

Various crampons and spikes are on the market. Some are incorporated in the shoe sole while others are fastened to the shoe surface in different ways.

WO 2004/041016 describes a shoe sole with anti-slip means that are arranged on the sole surface that touches the ground. Anti-slip means are attached to the sole of the shoe by fairly rigid support members and are hinged so that they can be lifted and rotated 180 degrees about its axis of symmetry which is different from the lifting axis. Each support member is contained in its own recess arranged in the sole.

US Patent license-4, 745, 629 discloses a rotatable anti-slip means suitable for mountaineering and snow, comprising a rotatable non-slip part projecting outward to fulfill their purpose and facing inwards and contained in a recess when not in use. US 2004088883 describes a boot with a recess in the shoe sole and a sole plate that releasably fits into a cavity in the side wall of the recess to hold the toe end of the sole plate fixed. A strap is attached to heel end of the sole plate and extends to a fixing device located at the back of the boot.

A problem with the above inventions have been getting anti-slip means out of its inactive position resulting long to activate anti-slip agents. It is not possible to activate anti-slip agents in a simple manner without taking off your shoes or at least sit down and perform operations under the shoe sole possibly with different types of tools.

Object of the invention

In view of the above drawbacks of the prior art it is an object of the present invention to reduce these drawbacks. More specifically the object is to provide a shoe sole and a shoe with anti-slip means fastened to a turnable element of the shoe sole and arranged such that activation of the an ti- slip means can be performed with one hand of the user. This is accomplished by the invention as defined by the features explained in the summary below and the accompanying independent claims. The dependent claims specify preferred embodiments of the invention.

Summary

The present invention is a non-slip shoe sole comprising a turnable element of the shoe sole attached to a front and a rear fastening device comprising: a first side which is similar to the rest of the shoe sole in particular with regard to friction; and a second side including anti-slip means; where the front and a rear fastening device for the turnable element of the shoe sole is characterized in that it is possible to lift the turnable element up from the shoe sole by loosening the rear fastening device so that the turnable element can be twisted at least approximately 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis while still being attached in the front fastener and then put back on the shoe sole in a single operation carried out by one hand, and without operating anything under the sole or using tools.

The present invention also includes a non-slip shoe where slip resistance is achieved by using a sole according to the above paragraph.

The term shoes it in this application is meant to include any device used on the feet of people doing common activities e.g. shoes, boots, ski boots, running shoes, galoshes, etc.

Brief Description of the Figures

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the invention may be implemented, an explanation will now be given, by way of example, with help of the accompanying schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the sole with the turnable element.

Figure 2 shows the sole where the turnable element is loosened from the heel.

Figure 3 shows how the turnable element can be rotated about its longitudinal axis. The two dotted lines indicate respectively the pivot axis A and the lift axis B to the turnable element.

Figure 4 shows an embodiment where the front hub and the turnable member is attached near the toe of the shoe.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment where the front mounting means is a flexible material that can be twisted at least about 180 ^° .

Figure 6 shows an embodiment where the front mounting means is a ball joint (A) or a head shaped like a cone (B) or a head (C) of a screw.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment in which the front fastener is a two-jointed solution Figure 8 shows an embodiment where the front mounting means is a wire or a strong line that turns at least 180 ^° .

Figure 9 shows an embodiment where the rear fastening device is a simple hook and an elastic strap.

Figure 10 illustrates an embodiment where the rear fastener is a rigid pin through the elastic strap that can be hooked in one or more tracks or grooves in the heel.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

In the following, similar parts in the various figures designated by similar references.

With reference to Figure 1 , the sole of a shoe 1 with a turnable element 2 according to the invention is shown. The turnable element is fixed to the front and rear with fastening means described later and is strapped into a recess 3 not being able to slip in any directions. Furthermore, the turnable element 2 is symmetric about its longitudinal axis and fits in its corresponding recess 3 even though it is turned 180 ^° . The turnable element can be equipped with anti-slip means e.g. ice spikes 11 on one side as shown in the drawing. On the other side the turnable element is similar to the rest of the shoe sole, in particular with regard to friction.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3 it is shown how the turnable element 2 is loosened from a rear fastening means 4 and thus can be rotated at least about 180 ^° about its longitudinal axis with mounting in a front fastener 5 to enable or disable the anti-slip means.

In principle, the front fastening means 5 of the turnable element 2 can be positioned anywhere along the longitudinal axis of the shoe sole. Figure 4 shows an

embodiment of the invention in which the front fastening means 5 is positioned close to the toe of the shoe sole.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the invention where the front fastening means 5 of the turnable element 2 is an elastic, relatively thin portion that can be twisted at least approximately 180 ^° .

Figure 6A shows an embodiment of the invention where the front fastening means 5 of the turnable element 2 is a ball with an arm which is attached to the turnable member 2 and wherein the ball is retained in a cavity in the sole of the shoe with an opening that is less than the diameter of the ball and greater than the diameter of the arm. It is also possible to envisage shapes other than spheres as shown in Figures 6B and 6C, showing a head shaped like a cone and a head of a screw respectively. Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the invention where the front fastening means 5 of the turnable element 2 comprises two rotating joints: a joint 7 that rotates about the longitudinal axis of the turnable element of the shoe sole, and a part 8 which pivots about a lifting axis, in which the joint is located in and is attached to the shoe sole and which is approximately 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the turnable element.

Figure 8 shows an embodiment of the invention where the front fastening means 5 to the turnable element 2 comprises a wire or strong line which can be rotated at least about 180 ^° about the longitudinal axis.

Figure 9 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the rear fastening means 4 of the turnable element comprises a fastening hook 11 and an elastic strap which bends over the heel. Optionally, the strap can be replaced by a rigid, jointed unit with a form of spring. The strap also has a spike 12 indicating which side of the turnable element facing towards the ground. Preferably, there are several holes in the strap to adjust the tension of the belt if it becomes worn over time.

Figure 10 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the rear fastening means 4 of the turnable element comprises a strap with a retaining pin 13 which extends across the belt and fit into one or more fixing hooks 14 a and b of the heel.

The descriptions in this application are intended as examples to illustrate the invention and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, for example, the front fastening means 5 may be varied in many ways and the shape of the turnable element can vary from being a narrow strip on the heel to cover almost the entire shoe sole.