Ventilating Footwear Devices

Abstract

Ventilating insole boards, self-ventilating footwear devices and self-bailing footwear articles and devices are provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A self-bailing waterproof footwear article comprising:
 (a) a waterproof upper region;   (b) a waterproof sole region; and   (c) a fluid distribution system having at least one inlet, at least one outlet, and at least one compressible pump connected to or integrated with a fluid reservoir;   wherein said fluid distribution system is located in said waterproof sole region, and wherein the at least one outlet is located in said waterproof upper region and expels fluid via the compressible pump to an external environment.   
     
     
         2 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the at least one inlet is positioned under a foot of a wearer of the article. 
     
     
         3 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the fluid is a liquid. 
     
     
         4 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the at least one compressible pump and fluid reservoir are combined in a single element. 
     
     
         5 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the fluid reservoir has a fluid capacity of at least 10 ml. 
     
     
         6 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the at least one compressible pump is located under a heel of a wearer of the article. 
     
     
         7 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 1  wherein the waterproof sole region further comprises a footbed, an insole board and an outsole. 
     
     
         8 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 7  wherein the fluid distribution system is in the footbed. 
     
     
         9 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 7  wherein the fluid distribution system is in the outsole. 
     
     
         10 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 7  wherein the fluid distribution system is in the insole board. 
     
     
         11 . The self-bailing waterproof footwear article of  claim 10  wherein the insole board further comprises an insole with a heel region and a toe region, and a joinable flange extending from a mid-point on the insole to either the toe or heel region and wherein the fluid distribution system extends essentially between the heel region and the toe region of said insole and the joinable flange. 
     
     
         12 . A self-bailing footwear device comprising:
 (a) a toe region;   (b) a heel region;   (c) an insole board extending from said heel region to said toe region and having at least one compressible pump having an expelled fluid volume of at least 10 ml;   (d) at least one fluid flow channel having an inlet, an outlet and a fluid reservoir and extending at least from the heel region to the toe region, wherein the inlet is in fluid communication with the compressible pump for fluid to be drawn into the fluid reservoir of the fluid flow channel through the inlet upon decompression of the pump and wherein the outlet is located so that fluid is expelled to an external environment through the outlet upon compression of the pump; and   (e) at least one check valve located between the inlet and the outlet of the at least one fluid flow channel to control fluid flow direction.   
     
     
         13 . The self-bailing footwear device of  claim 12  wherein the outlet of said at least one fluid flow channel is a single opening. 
     
     
         14 . The self-bailing footwear device of  claim 12  wherein said compressible pump withstands at least one million compressions. 
     
     
         15 . The self-bailing footwear device of  claim 12  wherein said compressible pump is comprised of at least two dissimilar materials. 
     
     
         16 . The self-bailing footwear device of  claim 12  wherein said compressible pump has an efficiency rating of at least 50%.