Shoe Cover

Abstract

A protective cover, and a method for producing the protective cover, for footwear. The protective cover includes a unitary body including a toe portion, a vamp portion, a quarter portion, a heel portion, and a throat portion. The body is formed from a multi-layer film including an outer layer that includes a first frictional property, an intermediate layer that is compliant, and an inner layer that includes a second frictional property, wherein each layer is water-resistant and the first frictional property is greater than the frictional anti-slip property.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a protective cover for footwear.

BACKGROUND

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

The cost of footwear has always been relatively high and continues to rise. As such, wearers do not wish to damage their shoes and ruin them prematurely. This is particularly true where dirt, rain, snow, ice, or other materials or compounds can contact and damage the uppers and outer soles of the shoes. Further, if shoes get wet, the wearer's feet may become uncomfortably damp throughout the day, which may cause the wearer to feel cold. Accordingly, shoe covers were developed to protect shoes in adverse weather conditions. Many of these shoe covers, however, are costly and/or unwieldy to use.

Consumers of footwear today opt to invest in particular shoes not only for comfort features but with an eye towards fashion. The trend of foot apparel in the marketplace is towards style, design, brand name, and expense. Footwear is representative of an individual's particular taste and view towards fashion. Accordingly, today's consumers are opting to invest in costly footwear. There exists a continued need, therefore, to provide a low cost, easy to use means of protecting and preserving the appearance and comfort of the shoes of the wearer's choice.

SUMMARY

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

The present disclosure provides a protective cover, and a method for producing the protective cover, for footwear. The protective cover includes a unitary body including a toe portion, a vamp portion, a quarter portion, a heel portion, and a throat portion. The body is formed from a multi-layer film including an outer layer that includes a first frictional property, an intermediate layer that is compliant, and an inner layer that includes a second frictional property, wherein each layer is water-resistant, the first frictional property is greater than the second frictional property, and the intermediate layer includes recycled plastic.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protective shoe cover during use in accordance with a principle of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a protective shoe cover of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a multilayer film that may be used according to a principle of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates blank from which a plurality of protective shoe covers according to a principle of the present invention are manufactured; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a manufacturing process that may be used to form a multilayer film.

Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a protective cover 10 for ladies' footwear will be described. FIG. 1 illustrates protective cover 10 during use thereof, and FIG. 2 illustrates protective cover 10 during non-use. Protective cover 10 may be formed of a sheet material that lays flat when in non-use (i.e., protective cover 10 during non-use has substantially no depth), which enables protective cover 10 to be lightweight, easily folded, and stowed. Protective cover 10 has dimensions (described below), however, such that protective cover 10 is able to expand similar to a plastic bag and receive a ladies' shoe 12.

Similar to a ladies' shoe 12, a protective cover includes a toe portion 14, a vamp portion 16, a quarter portion 18, a shank portion 20, a heel portion 22 and a throat portion 24. Throat portion 24 provides access into protective cover 10 and is shown in FIG. 2 in its fully expanded form. To ensure that protective cover 10 remains snugly over a shoe 12, throat portion 24 may include a retention mechanism 26. As shown in FIG. 1, retention mechanism 26 pulls throat portion 24 snugly against a shin of the wearer to retain protective cover 10 snugly over shoe 12.

Protective cover 10 is particularly adapted for ladies' shoe 12, and more particularly adapted for a ladies' high-heel shoe or pump. In this regard, shank portion 20 and heel portion 22 each include a length sufficient to accommodate the entire length of a heel 28 of shoe 12, which may range between 1 and 5 inches in length. To accommodate various contours and shapes of different ladies' shoes 12, shank portion 20 may include a radius of curvature 30, while heel portion 22 may include a radius of curvature 32 at a posterior portion 34 thereof. Anterior portion 36 of heel portion 22 may be substantially linear along an entire length thereof where it meets shank portion 20. Vamp portion 16 may also include a radius of curvature 39 between throat portion 24 and toe portion 14.

To accommodate most ladies' shoes 12, protective cover 10 may include an overall length L1 from toe portion 14 to quarter portion 18 that ranges between 12 and 16 inches. Preferably, length L1 from toe portion 14 to quarter portion 18 is about 14 inches. A height H1 of protective cover 10 from a bottom edge 38 to throat portion 24 may range between 8 and 14 inches, and preferably height H1 is about 9 inches. A length L2 of bottom edge 38 may range between 6 and 8 inches in length, and preferably length L2 is about 7.75 inches. A height H2 of toe portion 14 may range between 2 and 4 inches, and preferably is about 3 inches. A length L3 between shank portion 20 and quarter portion 18 may range between 5 and 7 inches, and preferably length L3 is about 6.25 inches. A height H3 of posterior portion 34 may range between 3 and 4 inches, and preferably height H3 is about 3.25 inches. A length L4 of posterior portion 34 may range between 1 and 2 inches, and preferably length L4 is about 1.375 inches. A length L5 of throat portion 24 may range between 10 and 12 inches, and preferably length L5 is about 11 inches. It should be noted, however, that due to retention mechanism 26, throat portion 24 will have a length less than L5 during use of protective cover 10 as retention portion 26 will gather throat portion around the wearer's ankle. Lastly, a length L6 of shank portion may range between 2 and 4 inches, and preferably length L6 is about 3 inches. Protective covers 10 having the above-noted lengths and heights in the listed ranges are suitable for accommodating most sizes of ladies' shoes 12. It should be appreciated, however, that for smaller or larger ladies' shoes 12 the range of dimensions will vary accordingly.

It should be understood that although protective cover 10 is described throughout the specification as being directed to a ladies' shoe 12, the present disclosure should not be limited thereto. More particularly, protective cover 10 may be adopted for use over men's and children's footwear as well. To accommodate most men's and children's footwear, heel portion 22 may have a height H3 of about 0.5 inches. Moreover, L1 may be between about 9 to 16 inches, L2 may be between about 5 to 8 inches, L3 may be between about 4 to 8 inches, L5 may be between about 5 to 12 inches, and L6 may be between about 1 to 4 inches. H2 may be about the same as for ladies' shoe 12, while H1 may be between about 6 and 10 inches.

Protective cover 10 is preferably formed from a material that is water- and weather-resistant. In particular, protective cover 10 may be formed from a polymeric or plastic material. Forming protective cover 10 from polymeric or plastic materials enables protective cover 10 to be worn over ladies' shoe 12 during inclement weather to protect a ladies' shoe from damage from water, ice, snow, mud and any other debris that may damage shoe 12. Although not required by the present disclosure, the polymeric or plastic material may be a clear and colorless material that enables the design of shoe 12 to be viewed during use of protective cover 10. It should be understood, however, that protective cover 10 may be an opaque or colored material without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As a material that is water- and weather-resistant, linear low-density polyethylene may be used. Other polymeric or plastic materials that are water- and weather-resistant include polypropylene, and polyvinylchloride. Any other material, however, that meets the water- and weather-resistant criteria herein may also be used.

Forming protective cover 10 from a polymeric or plastic material such as polyethylene enables protective cover 10 to be light-weight and easily foldable, which enables protective cover 10 to be easily storable. Accordingly, protective cover 10 may be kept in a purse, wallet, glove compartment, or storage receptacle within an automobile that enables a wearer to use protective cover 10, as needed.

Referring to FIG. 3, protective cover 10 may be formed from a multi-layer film 40 that includes an outer layer 42 that may include a frictional property (i.e., comprises an anti-slip resistant property), an intermediate layer 44 that is compliant, and an inner layer 46 (i.e., a layer that contacts the shoe) that includes another frictional property that may be substantially less in magnitude than outer layer 42 to enable the wearer to easily slide protective cover 10 over shoe 12. Multi-layer film 40 preferably comprises a total thickness T that ranges between 1.0 and 4.0 mils. Preferably, total thickness T of protective film 40 is about 2.0 mils.

Outer layer 42 includes an anti-slip resistant property because outer layer 42 will be exposed to environments that may include water, ice, snow, and other debris when protective cover 10 is in use. Outer layer 42, therefore, should provide sufficient frictional resistance during use to prevent, or at least substantially minimize, the wearer from slipping on the walking surface in the above-noted conditions. Further, if protective cover 10 is used indoors, outer layer 42 should provide sufficient frictional resistance to prevent, or at least substantially minimize, the wearer from slipping on surfaces such as carpet and smooth surfaces like tiled or wood floors. Although inner layer 46 may have a frictional property of substantially lesser magnitude than outer layer 42 to allow the wearer to easily place protective cover 10 over shoe 12, it should be appreciated that the frictional property of inner layer 46 is sufficient to prevent protective cover 10 from slipping off shoe 12 during use thereof.

Intermediate layer 44 may be a compliant layer. That is, intermediate layer 44 resists stretching and tearing, to increase the durability of protective cover 10. To make intermediate layer 44 compliant, intermediate layer 44 may include between 15-40% PCR (post consumer recycled plastic), and preferably intermediate layer includes about 25% PCR. Although intermediate 44 is described as including environmentally conscious use of PCR, it should be understood that both outer layer 42 and inner layer 46 may also include PCR, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Using PCR in multi-layer film 40 decreases the cost of material used in manufacturing protective cover 10, and provides the wearer with a protective cover that is environmentally conscious.

Each layer of multilayer film 40 may be formed of the same material (such as polyethylene) or different materials. For example, outer layer 42 may be formed of polyethylene, intermediate layer 44 may be formed of polyvinylchloride, and inner layer 46 may be formed of polypropylene. Regardless, any combination of materials for each layer is contemplated so long as outer layer 42 includes frictional properties that are anti-slip, inner layer 46 includes frictional properties that enable the wearer to easily slip protective cover 10 over shoe 12, and intermediate layer is compliant.

If each layer of multilayer film 40 is formed of the same material (such as polyethylene), the frictional properties of both the outer layer 42 and inner layer 46 and the compliant property of intermediate layer 44 may be adjusted by modifying the molecular weight of the selected material of each layer. For example, to provide outer layer 42 with an anti-slip property, outer layer 42 may be formed of a form of the material having a lower molecular weight and density than inner layer 46. Moreover, as stated above, intermediate layer 44 may comprise a form of the material including an environmentally conscious PCR content ranging between 15 and 40%, which increases the compliant property of the intermediate layer 44. Adding PCR to the outer layer 42 and inner layer 46 may also adjust the molecular weight of these layers to adjust their respective frictional properties.

Layers of multi-layer film 40 may also include materials such as ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors, anti-blocking materials, plasticizers, and the like. UV-inhibitors assist in preventing UV radiation from penetrating protective cover 10, which decreases the likelihood of shoe 12 fading during use of protective cover 10. UV inhibitors also protect the material that forms protective cover 10 from UV radiation, which can weaken the polymer or plastic's strength and, if colored, fade its color. Anti-blocking materials assist in preventing protective covers 10 from sticking together during packaging of protective covers 10. Plasticizers may be used to assist in manufacturing of protective cover 10.

Although protective cover 10 is described above as being formed of multi-layer film 40, the present disclosure should not be limited thereto. In this regard, protective cover 10 may be formed of a single layer film, a dual layer film, or any other number of films, as desired so long as protective cover 10 is suitable for remaining weather-resistant. Further, if protective cover 10 is formed of a single layer or double layer film, protective cover 10 may retain the above-noted anti-slip properties by making an outer surface more slip-resistant relative to an inner surface by, for example, using various polymeric or plastic additives in the film, or by providing various additives to the outer and inner surfaces, respectively, by spraying, coating, or the like.

Now referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a method for manufacturing protective cover 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protective covers 10 may be formed from a blank 48 of multi-layer film 40. Blank 48 may be formed by blown-film extrusion, also known as a tubular film process. To produce blank 48 of multi-layer film 40, the polymeric or plastic material (such as polyethylene) arrives at the manufacturing facility in pellet (resin) form. The machine operator pours the resin into a hopper 50, which feeds the resin into an extruder 52. Heating elements 54 and turning of the extruder screw (not shown) melts the resin into a molten form and forces it through extruder 52.

If protective cover 10 is to be formed from a single-layer film (not shown), extruder 52 may be provided with a circular die 56 located downstream from extruder 52 so that as the molten resin flows evenly and over circular die 56, the sheet material will emerge as a tube 60. The tube 60 is then fed through a pulley system 62 that pulls tube 60. As pulley system 62 is pulling tube 60, the machine operator inserts an air gun (not shown) into tube 60 to blow air into sheet 58, which increases a diameter of tube 60 as it is pulled by pulley system 62. Once tube 60 reaches the desired diameter, tube 60 is fed through a guide 64, which forces tube 62 into a layflat form 66. Subsequently, tube 60 in layflat form 66 is rolled until protective covers 10 are to be formed therefrom in a die-cutting and sealing process.

To form multi-layer film 40, three extruders 52 are used that each extrude material for outer layer 42, intermediate layer 44, and inner layer 46, respectively. This enables, as stated above, each layer to be separately formed to have different properties (e.g., anti-slip, compliant, UV-resistant, etc). As sheets 58 emerge from extruders 52, sheets 58 are simultaneously fed through circular die 56, which is located downstream from extruders 52 and fuses each layer together to form multilayer film 40 in the shape of tube 60. Tube 60 is then fed through pulley system 62 that pulls tube 60. As pulley system 62 is pulling tube 60, the machine operator inserts the air gun (not shown) into tube 60 to insert air therein, which increases the diameter of tube 60 as it is pulled by pulley system 62. Once tube 60 reaches the desired diameter, tube 60 is fed through a guide 64, which forces tube 60 into a layflat form 66. Subsequently, tube 60 in layflat form 66 is rolled until protective covers 10 are to be formed therefrom in a die-cutting and sealing process.

FIG. 4 illustrates the outline 66 of protective covers 10 to be die cut and sealed during the die-cutting and sealing process. Lines 68 represent portions of multilayer film 40 that are sealed to enclose and complete formation protective cover 10. To cut and seal protective cover 10 along lines 66 and 68, a heat sealing process may be used. In this regard, a heated die (not shown) having a shape that corresponds to outline 66 of protective cover 10 is pressed against blank 48 for a predetermined dwell time, which seals portions of multilayer film 40 along lines 68 and cuts protective covers 10 from blank 48 along lines 66. Alternatively, lines 68 may be sealed sonically, vibrationally, by laser, or any other process known to one skilled in the art. Line 70 represents a separation line of adjacent protective covers that may be perforated by the heated die. When line 70 is cut, throat portion 24 is formed.

After protective covers 10 are formed as set forth above, retention mechanism 26 may be incorporated into throat portion 24. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, retention mechanism may be an elastic band. Retention mechanism 26, however, should not be limited thereto. In this regard, after cutting along line 70, throat portion 24 may be slightly folded and sealed to provide a sleeve that may accommodate a lace or drawstring that may act as retention mechanism 26. Retention mechanism 26 may also comprise VELCRO® or a buckle such as a hook-eye. Regardless, when protective cover 10 is provided with retention mechanism 26, dimension of throat portion 24 pulls throat portion 24 to a dimension less than a length L5 of throat portion 24 illustrated in FIG. 2, but may enable throat portion 24 to fully expand to length L5 in order to enable a wearer to place her foot and shoe 12 into protective cover 10. It should be understood, however, that retention mechanism 26 provides a manner in which to secure protective cover 10 to a wearer's foot or shoe and prevent protective cover 10 from sliding off the wearer's foot during use thereof, and prevents weather (i.e., rain, snow, ice, debris, etc.) from entering protective cover 10 during use thereof.

As described above, protective cover 10 provides an inexpensive, lightweight, and foldable device for protecting ladies' footwear. Protective cover 10, therefore, may be easily stowed and used, as weather conditions require. As protective cover 10 may be formed from a polymeric or plastic film, protective cover 10 enables the design of shoe 12 to be viewed during use thereof. Moreover, as protective cover 10 may be formed from multi-layer film 40, protective cover 10 may be provided with a plurality of different properties, including anti-slip, weather-resistant, anti-UV, etc., without limitation. Further, the use of recycled plastic provides an environmentally conscious protective cover 10. Due to retention mechanism 26, protective cover 10 is also adapted to remain snugly over shoe 12 during use thereof, while expandable to easily place protective cover 10 over shoe 12.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A protective cover for footwear, comprising a unitary body including a toe portion, a vamp portion, a quarter portion, a heel portion, and a throat portion, said body formed from a film including an outer surface that includes a first frictional property and an inner surface that includes a second frictional property, wherein said film is water-resistant and said first frictional property is greater than said second frictional property.

2. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said film is a multi-layer film including an outer layer, an intermediate layer, and an inner layer.

3. The protective cover of claim 2, wherein said outer layer includes said first frictional property, said intermediate layer includes a compliant property, and said inner layer includes said second frictional property.

4. The protective cover of claim 2, wherein at least one layer of said multi-layer film is formed of a material including about 25% recycled material.

5. The protective cover of claim 2, wherein said intermediate layer resists stretching and tearing.

6. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said throat portion includes a retention mechanism.

7. The protective cover of claim 6, wherein said retention comprises an elastic band.

8. The protective cover of claim 6, wherein said retention mechanism is one of an elastic band, a pull tie, a VELCRO® strap, and a buckle.

9. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said heel portion is sized to accommodate a heel of a ladies' high-heel shoe.

10. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said heel portion is sized to accommodate said heel having a length that ranges between 0.5 inch to 5 inches.

11. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said film is formed of polyethylene.

12. The protective cover of claim 2, wherein said outer layer is formed of polyethylene having a lower density than polyethylene that forms said inner layer.

13. The protective cover of claim 2, wherein said intermediate layer includes recycled polyethylene.

14. The protective cover of claim 1, wherein said film includes an ultraviolet inhibitor.

15. A method for manufacturing a protective cover for footwear, comprising:

producing a multi-layer film including an outer layer that includes a first frictional property, an intermediate layer that is compliant, and an inner layer that includes a second frictional property, wherein each layer is water-resistant and said first frictional property is greater than said second frictional property;

forming said multi-layer film into a tube;

sealing an outline of the protective cover and after said outline is sealed, cutting the protective covers from said tube.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the protective cover with a retention mechanism.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said retention mechanism is one of an elastic band, a pull tie, a VELCRO® strap, and a buckle.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said outline of the protective cover is adapted to accommodate a shoe including a heel having a length that ranges between 0.5 inch to 5 inches.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said outer layer is formed of a material having a lower density than said inner layer.