CA2519850A1

CA2519850A1 - Multifunctional shoe cover

Info

Publication number: CA2519850A1
Application number: CA 2519850
Authority: CA
Inventors: Serge Brie; Denis Rancourt; Jean-Francois Lagarde; Pierre-Etienne Bourret; Genevieve Masson; Marc Denninger
Original assignee: Alfred Cloutier Ltee
Current assignee: Alfred Cloutier Ltee
Priority date: 2004-11-16
Filing date: 2005-09-15
Publication date: 2006-05-16

Abstract

The present invention describes a multifunctional shoe cover device with a spider web motif underneath the sole. This device is conceived for outdoor wear and is meant to protect shoes and boots given the fact that it covers the entire vamp of the boot. In the basic configuration, the device is equipped with crampons projecting from the sole. These crampons are fabricated from materials having different hardness characteristics depending on the specific purpose intended. The crampons are arranged in such a way as to offer flexibility, multidirectional adherence, and they have the capacity to adapt to different surfaces through the addition of specific screw-in anti-skid studs, in a second configuration. Another configuration of the shoe cover consists of the sole described above with the overshoe upper made with sections of variable thicknesses to control the upper deformation, such that the fit to the shoe is improved and the retaining capability on the shoe is increased. Finally, a last configuration is with the spider web sole motif which is divided in a number of sections to increase the planar flexibility of the sole to adapt to variable shoe sole dimensions. In addition, sections of particular material properties can be added on the shoe upper in order to better control the shoe cover deformation and improve the fit on the shoe vamp.

Description

DESCRIPTIVE STATEMENT
TITLE: MULTIFUNCTIONAL SHOE COVER
INVENTION DOMAIN
The invention pertains to the shoe domain, and more specifically to a multifunctional shoe covers with or without studs. The invention is distinguished by a spider web motif shape underneath the sole, which provides multidirectional adherence.
OVERVIEW
The following patents attracted our interest:
US 6,675,504; 2004, describes a shoe sole equipped with studs made from nails.
US 240,450,190; 2004, describes a detachable shoe accessory meant for traction.
There exist many types of shoe covers but the combination of enveloping and protecting the shoe while providing adherence is absent in prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Obviously, there exists a need for a bimodal anti-skid shoe sole that provides increased multidirectional adherence for different slippery surfaces using crampons (with or without screw-in studs) positioned and oriented in a spider web motif. The device covers a significant portion of the shoe in order to assure better fit to the shoe and protection against rain, snow, dirt, and other substances that could damage the shoe. The present invention proposes a shoe cover concept comprising a variety of materials having variable flexibility, adherence, harness and elastic properties. The invention is meant to assure comfort and security in extreme conditions or for use on outdoor working surfaces where the necessity of high adherence for increased security and/or performance is required.
OBJECTIVES AND ADVANTAGES
The general objective of the invention is to present a device that is simple to manufacture and made from components which are low-cost, light, and easily replaceable.
Moreover, an advantage of this invention compared to similar devices is that it covers almost the entire shoe. This provides maximal protection against harsh weather conditions and assures a better fit on the shoe, thus avoiding it coming off during utilization.
This studded shoe cover device, with its spider web sole motif, is designed to assure multidirectional adherence of the sole on outdoor slippery surfaces like ice or snow, in particular in the case of lateral or medial movements of the foot. This represents an obvious advantage compared to other similar devices. The adherence of the sole is assured by several crampons positioned and oriented in a specific way. Some of the 2005-09-I S demande a deposer.doc crampons are equipped with tapped holes in which threaded screw-in studs of variable design and materials can be anchored in order to increase adhesion on outdoor surfaces.
Other protruding crampons are fabricated from a softer material in order to maximize the adhesion on outdoor surfaces and on ice. The device has the advantage of being bimodal, i.e. for outdoor and indoor use, by adding the appropriate type of screw-in stud; an alternative design being without any studs. The device also has the advantage of having a minimum of three screw-in studs in order to assure stability during all gait cycles while maximizing the stud penetration and contact force in and on the walking surface. Certain crampons are in the shape of an arch in order for debris lodged between them to discharge more easily when the sole flexes during gait.
Finally, the device has the advantage of having a sole that is divided into two sections separated by an instep made out of a soft material. This feature assures a maximal span of the crampons by increasing the stretch capacity of the device to accommodate variable shoe lengths.
The device therefore has the advantage of assuring the security of individuals both during their daily movements and while at work to avoid accidents due to slippery surface conditions.
DRAWINGS
The following are the drawings that illustrate the invention product:
FIG.1 A is a perspective of the shoe FIG.1 B is a side view of the shoe with the sole.
FIG.1 C is a back view of the shoe.
FIG.2A is a view of underneath the sole, without screw-in studs.
FIG.2B is a view of underneath the sole, with screw-in studs.
FIG.3 is a plane view of underneath the sole.
FIG.4 is an enlargement of an anti-skid zone.
FIGS corresponds to the shoe-cover viewed from above.
Figure 6 corresponds to a longitudinal cut view of the show cover. A shoe is inserted in the show cover in order to show it in its deformed state. Dotted lines define the hidden edges of the shoe-cover.
Figure 7 corresponds to the front view of the shoe cover which shows the geometry of the different exterior thicknesses.
Figure 8 corresponds to the view from above of the shoe-cover and shows the inclination of the wall of the shoe-cover.
Figure 9 corresponds to a cut view of the shoe-cover with respect to the direction 130 marked on figure 7. It allows us to see the two thicknesses inside the shoe cover.
2005-09-I S demande a deposer.doc DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following description and in the accompanying drawings, the bold numbers refer each part described to the corresponding part marked on the figures.
FIG.1 A shows, in a dotted line, a shoe 20 and shows a shoe cover 29 including the vamp 21 and a sole 22. The sole is divided into three sections: a central instep 28 that divides a front section 24 and back section 26 of the sole, each of which include crampons 27 and 27'. The back 25 of the vamp 21 is thicker to provide more grip for the fingers when installing the device onto the shoe.
FIG. l B shows the same characteristics as FIG. l A but highlights a central zone of anti-skid crampons 30 and 30' projecting out from other crampons. The central zones are made out of a material with a minimal harness of duro 35. On this figure we can see the thickness of the back part 25 of the vamp 21. The lower part of the back of the vamp 21 extends toward the back together with the back section of the sole 26 in order to create a protuberance behind the heel that keeps the back of the sole on the ground with the support of the opposite foot when the shoe cover is taken off.
FIG. l C shows the back section 26 of the sole, part of the front section 24 of the sole, at least one crampon 27', and the central zone of the anti-skid crampons 30' of the back section of the sole. These crampons protrude 34 by at least 1 millimeter from the other crampons. The back heel protuberance 31 that serves as a grip to facilitate the removal of the shoe cover can also be seen on FIG.1 C.
FIG.2A shows the shoe cover 29 with the sole 22, the back section of the sole 26, the front section of the sole 24, the instep 28, the central zone of the anti-skid crampons 30' of the back section of the sole including the crampons 27' (hatched surface).
The central zone of the back anti-skid crampons 30' is surrounded by an external peripheral zone 32' of crampons 27', themselves made up of at least one external peripheral ring 35 of crampons. We can see that at least one anchoring crampon 45 of the peripheral external zone 32' of crampons consists of a tapped hole 40. The crampons can be made from a material with a higher duro in order to sufficiently stabilize the tapped anchoring support, and to resist wear.
FIG.2B shows a modified shoe cover 29 with a sole 22, where screw-in studs 43 are screwed into each anchoring hole 40 of the sole. We can also see a crampon from the external peripheral zone 32 of crampons in the front section of the sole 24.
This crampon is in the shape of an arch 42. This type of crampon facilitates the discharge of debris lodged between the crampons, when the sole flexes during use. Furthermore, there are zones of anti-skid peripheral crampons 44, 44', a front central crampon, and anchoring crampons 45, 45'.
FIG.3 shows a view of underneath the sole where we can see, in cross-hatched lines on the surface of the crampons that constitute the central zones 30, 30', anti-skid crampons made from a material of minimum duro 35. Each of these two zones protrudes from the 2005-09-I S demande i deposer.doc other crampon surfaces by at least 1 millimeter. Each zone is composed of a central crampon 33 and 46 surrounded by at least one concentric ring 36, 36' and 36"
of anti-skid crampons. The central zone is itself surrounded by an external peripheral zone 32, 32' of crampons, shown in cross-hatched lines. These external peripheral zones 32, 32' can be made from harder material in order to resist wear more effectively.
These zones can contain a minimum of three anchoring crampons 45 in which tapped anchoring holes 40 are fixed. Screw-in studs can be installed or not. In order to maximize adherence, the screw-in studs can be fabricated in variable formats, dimensions, and materials depending on the contact surface on which the shoe cover will be used. The anchoring crampons include a minimum of three anchoring holes in the front or back. These anchoring holes are positioned in a triangular arrangement. At the front of the sole, two of the anchoring crampons are situated in line underneath the big toe in order to maximize grip in the toe-off phase. At the back, the disposition is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shoe cover in order to assure the stability of the sole in the standing position.
Certain screw-in studs 43 can be of different colors in order to visually identify those that have different adherence and weax properties. This characteristic is very useful in showing the user where to install each screw-in stud on the sole.
In each of the front 24 and back 26 sections of the sole, the crampons 27 are located on concentric/peripheral rings with respect to the central crampon 33. Each ring is separated by peripheral canals 53. These canals are a minimum of 3 millimeters thick.
While the crampons 27 are situated on peripheral rings, they are also situated on radial crampon bands 50 and 50' forming a spider web motif 60. Each web has a minimum of 6 bands of radial crampons 50, and each band is separated from the next by a radial canal 52 and 52' that is a minimum of 3 millimeters thick in its center. The more peripheral crampons of a radial crampon band 50 are sometimes fused to form an anchoring crampon 45 that includes a tapped anchoring hole 40. There is a minimum of three anchoring crampons 45 per spider web motif 60. These anchoring crampons assure stability of the sole 22 while maximizing the penetration force of the screw-in studs 43 by increasing the load on each crampon. The radial crampon bands 50 and radial canals 52 are positioned so that the anchoring crampons 45 are at critical locations. This is designed to avoid slippage on contact of the back section 26 of the sole with the ground and upon toe-off.
Certain concave crampons 57 and 57' have a curvature radius of ten millimeters minimum in order for debris to discharge more easily from the peripheral canals 53 when the sole 22 is flexed during gait.
With appropriate adjustments, the sole 22 concept can easily be applied to other devices than the shoe cover, such as the soles of shoes and boots.
FIG.4 shows a better view of the components of the front section of the sole.
OTHER CONFIGURATIONS
An alternative configuration of the overshoe is illustrated as an example in Fig. 5, where the sole described previously is attached to a shoe cover whose thickness varies upon 2005-09-IS demande a deposer,doc location to provide particular shoe cover stress-strain behavior for better shoe fitting and retaining capabilities on the shoe. The essential components of the invention are shown with the following figures:
Figure 5 corresponds to the shoe-cover viewed from above.
Figure 6 corresponds to a longitudinal cut view of the show cover. A shoe is inserted in the show cover in order to show it in its deformed state. Dotted lines define the hidden edges of the shoe-cover.
Figure 7 corresponds to the front view of the shoe cover which shows the geometry of the different exterior thicknesses.
Figure 8 corresponds to the view from above of the shoe-cover and shows the inclination of the wall of the shoe-cover.
Figure 9 corresponds to a cut view of the shoe-cover with respect to the direction 130 marked on figure 7. It allows us to see the two thicknesses inside the shoe cover.
Detailed description of the first alternative configuration Considering the general view shown in figure 5, the shoe cover 100 is made of several layers of different thicknesses. The main layer's 111 thickness is of 2 mm and assures a larger flexibility for the shoe cover. The other layers 112 and 113 consist respectively of exterior and interior protrusions of approximately 1 mm.
The shoe cover 100 is molded from a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a similar hyperelastic material. This material has the following properties:
1. The shoe cover's elasticity makes it possible to insert a shoe which is one size larger than the shoe cover.

2. Its elasticity stays relatively stable over a high variation of extreme temperatures.

3. The friction coefficient with a shoe is high in order to assure proper adherence.

4. It is waterproof.
This shoe cover was conceived to avoid it slipping off the shoe during gait and ensures a best fit on the shoe. The different methods used to make this possible are enumerated below:
Considering figures 6 and 7, two layers 151 and 152 of approximately 1 mm are situated within the shoe cover. They provide support when the heel 122 of the shoe tends to shift vertically. Layer 151 is at a distance of 36 mm from the surface 153 in order for the shoe-cover to fit the majority of shoe heels. Layer 152 is at a distance of 54 mm from the surface 153 in order for the shoe-cover to fit shoes that have larger heels.
The length of the layers is of approximately 70 mm and the height at the center of the layers is of approximately 6 mm. This allows an additional contact surface with the shoe's vamp 120.
2005-09-IS demande a deposer.doc Indeed, the heel of the shoe usually projects beyond its vamp, which creates an empty space 123 between the shoe's vamp and the shoe cover. The protruding layers partially fill this empty space. Of prime importance, they increase the retaining capabilities of the overshoe on the shoe surface by providing a mechanical resistance to heel slipping off the shoe.
Considering figure 7, the front 134 of the shoe-cover is curved with a radius of 200 mm.
Therefore, when the shoe is inserted in the shoe-cover, the tension induced within the wall of the shoe-cover is higher. Ideally, the curvature radius should be close to the radius to which the foot bends when the user walks. A tension in the shoe cover wall will therefore be present at all times.
The exterior layer 135 that projects around the inferior part of the shoe-cover assures a lateral stability of the shoe with the base of the shoe-cover. It also transmits most of the longitudinal effort of the shoe-cover in the layer.
The exterior layers 136, 137, 138 allow for an increase contact force between the shoe and the shoe-cover at these areas. Layer 136 meets layer 135 at one third of the length of the shoe cover. Layers 137 and 138 meet layer 135 at one third of the length of the shoe-cover. The privileged contact zones are therefore situated at the top of the shoe-cover, at the heel, and at the front of the shoe.
Layer 137 is situated at approximately 50 mm from the surface 153, and is therefore above the heel 122 of the shoe. In the same way, layer 136 is at approximately 15 mm from the surface 153, and is above zone 121 of the sole of the shoe cover.
This way, layers 131 and 132, which are 2 mm thick, allow sufficient deformation of the shoe-cover at the level of the edges 121 and 122 from the sole of the shoe.
Layer 136 is of particular importance to ensure retaining capabilities of the shoe cover on the shoe. Because it has a larger thickness, it reduces shoe cover longitudinal elongation when walking or climbing stairs by increasing the amount of energy required to slide off layer 136 from the shoe sole tip.
Layers 136, 137 and 138 commonly contribute to control the shoe cover deformation in specific areas in order to avoid shoe cover lateral walls buckling when flexing the foot during walking for instance. The process by which this happens is by ensuring large strains of the shoe cover in strategic areas where buckling could occur.
Buckling is not desired because it creates small gaps between the shoe surface and the shoe cover, where rain or snow may get caught. The design of the shoe cover layers is obtained by trial an error methods or by finite element modeling of the shoe cover using hyperelastic stress-strain behavior of the material.
Of course, the use of bands of variable thicknesses on a flexible membrane made of any synthetic material or living biomaterial such as a reconstructed skin made of collagen fibers, can be used to control a membrane deformation and fitting to a flexible object different from a shoe, such as a female breast, of any other parts of the body 2005-09-I S demnnde a deposer,doc Considering figure 8, the shoe cover is composed of two contours, the inferior contour 140 and the superior contour 14I. It is important to note that the superior contour is shorter than the inferior contour. This is due to the fact that the vamp's layers are curved inward. This implied that when the shoe is inserted in the shoe-cover, it is mostly the superior part of the shoe-cover that is in contact with the shoe. Moreover, the edge 139, seen on figure 7 helps in increasing the internal tension in the superior part of the shoe-cover. This edge has a thickness and height of approximately 3 mm.
The heights of the vamp's layers vary from approximately 35 mm towards the front of the shoe-cover till approximately 85 mm towards the back in order to have a good surface adherence with the shoe, and to cover the entirety of the shoe's sole and part of its vamp.
Second alternative configuration A second alternative configuration of the overshoe sole is illustrated as an example, in Fig. 9, where the sole made of two density material, is divided in a number of sections 200 made of high density material interconnected by low density material bands 210.
This configuration allows for increased multidirectional flexibility of the shoe sole to adapt to variable shoe sole dimensions. High density material distinct sections 220 are also used on the shoe cover walls to increase the lateral stability of the shoe cover and to provide increase strength to the walls in order to avoid lateral wall bucking when flexing the foot. These sections can also be used to control the shoe upper deformations and increase the fit on the shoe.
DIRECTIONS
Naturally, this shoe cover is used in the same way as a normal shoe cover. It can be installed on a shoe and taken off easily upon entering a building so as to avoid dirtying the shoes or the floor. The anti-skid part of the sole includes an anchorage to which screw-in studs can be fixed in order to provide better adhesion to the ground on slippery surfaces. This ensures maximum security for any walking individual and in particular for a worker. The anti-skid part is made of different, softer material from the rest of the sole.
The harder part of the sole supports the anchors, but could be softened or hardened with the help of processes such as the injection of a substance having specific properties that are consistent with the adherence objectives sought.
2005-09-I S demande a depoxr.doc