US 11,986,112 B2
Footwear donning apparatus
Seth R. Hills, Richmond, VA (US); and Garrett S. Bullock, Tuscaloosa, AL (US)
Assigned to United States Government As Represented By The Department Of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by United States Government as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/354,576.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/042,272, filed on Jun. 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0393062 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. A47G 25/80 (2006.01)
CPC A47G 25/80 (2013.01) 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for assisting a user in donning a shoe, the shoe having a heel collar and a tongue, wherein the tongue has an underside, the apparatus comprising:
a body that is partially receivable into the shoe, the body having:
a top portion that is configured to extend above the heel collar when the body is partially received into the shoe; and
an inner portion extending downwardly from the top portion; and
first and second projections that extend forwardly from the body and are configured to bias against the underside of the tongue on opposing sides of the tongue,
wherein the body and the first and second projections are integrally formed as a monolithic structure, and
wherein the first and second projections extend forwardly at least five inches from a rearmost point of the top portion of the body, and
wherein each of the first and second projections has a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein each of the first and second projections has an upper edge cooperatively defined by the proximal portion and the distal portion, wherein a portion of the upper edge defined by the proximal portion is vertically spaced from a portion of the upper edge defined by the distal portion.