Adaptable shoe cover
First Claim
1. A shoe cover comprising:
- a sole made of a flexible material having;
at least two rigid bands made of rigid material, each having a first portion disposed on a ground-contacting side of the sole and arranged in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the sole, thereby rigidifying the sole;
at least one elastic band made of said flexible material, spanning longitudinally between said at least two first portions from a front end to a rear end of the sole, thereby enabling the sole to be laterally flexible to adapt to a shoe over which the shoe cover fits; and
wherein at least one of the rigid bands comprises;
a second portion attached to the first portion and extending upward from the first portion along a side wall of the shoe cover, the attached first and second portions thereby producing at least one rigid L-shaped element; and
a fulcrum contacting the ground and having a fulcrum axis formed where the first and second portions are attached, the first portion being angled with respect to a horizontal plane so as to have a raised inner part raised from the ground toward a center area of the sole when no downward pressure is exerted, and enabling the second portion to rotate about the fulcrum axis and toward a side wall of the shoe inserted within the shoe cover to an inward position when a downward pressure is exerted on the raised inner part of the first portion, thereby clamping the shoe.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a shoe cover to adaptively fit over a shoe. The show cover has a sole, which includes at least two rigid bands of rigid material, disposed on the bottom of the sole and arranged in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the sole, thereby rigidifying the sole. The sole also has an elastic band of the flexible material, spanning longitudinally between the two rigid bands from the front to the rear of the sole, thereby enabling lateral flexibility to adapt to a shoe. The present invention also provides a rigid L-shaped element, each including a first portion on the ground side, a second portion on the side wall, and a fulcrum joining them, to clamp an inserted shoe. A double injection method for producing the above is also provided.
175 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A shoe cover comprising:
-
a sole made of a flexible material having; at least two rigid bands made of rigid material, each having a first portion disposed on a ground-contacting side of the sole and arranged in spaced relation to each other on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the sole, thereby rigidifying the sole; at least one elastic band made of said flexible material, spanning longitudinally between said at least two first portions from a front end to a rear end of the sole, thereby enabling the sole to be laterally flexible to adapt to a shoe over which the shoe cover fits; and wherein at least one of the rigid bands comprises; a second portion attached to the first portion and extending upward from the first portion along a side wall of the shoe cover, the attached first and second portions thereby producing at least one rigid L-shaped element; and a fulcrum contacting the ground and having a fulcrum axis formed where the first and second portions are attached, the first portion being angled with respect to a horizontal plane so as to have a raised inner part raised from the ground toward a center area of the sole when no downward pressure is exerted, and enabling the second portion to rotate about the fulcrum axis and toward a side wall of the shoe inserted within the shoe cover to an inward position when a downward pressure is exerted on the raised inner part of the first portion, thereby clamping the shoe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A shoe cover comprising:
-
a sole and a side wall both made of flexible material; at least one rigid L-shaped element, each comprising; a first portion disposed on a ground-contacting side of the sole; a second portion extending upward along the side wall of the shoe cover; and a fulcrum contacting the ground and having a fulcrum axis formed where the first and second portions are joined, the first and second portions having an angle α
therebetween, the first portion being angled with respect to a horizontal plane so as to have a raised inner part raised from the ground toward a center area of the sole when no downward pressure is exerted, and enabling the second portion to be inwardly biasable about the fulcrum axis for clamping a shoe inserted in the shoe cover and improving an adaptive fit of the shoe cover when a downward pressure is exerted on the raised inner part of the first portion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
-
Specification