| 摘要 |
An inflatable shoe tree (20) having left (22) and right (24) inflatable chambers and at least one interconnect passageway placing the left and right inflated chambers in fluid communication. In the inflated condition, the interconnect passageway (26) hingedly connects the left and right chambers so that the inflated shoe tree is moveable between a constrained position and a free position. In the constrained position, the left and right inflated chambers are relatively close together to facilitate insertion of the folded, inflated shoe tree into a shoe. In the free position, the left and right chambers are relatively far from each other. Also in the constrained position, the interconnect passageway is partially compressed to create a countervailing force urging the left and right chambers toward the free position. The inflatable shoe tree may be formed in the non-inflated state by sealing a bottom sheet to a top sheet in selected regions. The inflated shoe tree helps to support the shape of a shoe during shipment and retail display.
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