Patent Application
20160309832
The present invention relates to shoe covers. More specifically, the present invention provides a shoe cover comprising a body adapted to partially enclose a shoe therein so as to prevent the user's shoes from becoming soiled by dirt, mud, inclement weather, and the like.
Footwear is an important aspect of a person's wardrobe and fashion. Certain types of footwear can be extremely expensive, such as designer shoes, leather dress shoes, and the like. As a result, the owners of such footwear take precautions to preserve their footwear so that the footwear remains clean and new. People utilize shoe trees to maintain the shape of the shoes and to prevent the shoes from developing creases. Further, people may polish leather shoes, brush suede shoes, and perform other cleaning tasks. Further, other types of shoes may be delicate, such as suede shoes, which cannot get wet without ruining the material.
However, shoes can easily become dirty or soiled as the wearer spends time walking around outdoors, particularly during periods of inclement weather. Shoes can become damaged or ruined if the user wears the shoes while walking in the rain, in the snow, through mud, or through other dirty environments. Other accidents may also soil a shoe, such as spilling a drink or food onto the shoe. The user may be unable to clean the shoes properly and the shoe may be permanently damaged. As a result, a shoe cover device that provides a stylish appearance while protecting the footwear is desired in order to protect the footwear from becoming dirty or soiled.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to shoe covers. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to shoe covers that partially cover the upper portion of a shoe or that leave the bottom of the shoe exposed, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,182, U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,976, U.S. Design Patent Number D611684, and U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2011/0209358, U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2010/022381, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,416, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,895, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,258.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The shoe covers in the prior art generally relate to shoe covers for covering the sides, heel, and upper portion of a shoe while leaving the sole entirely exposed. The sole is left exposed so that the tread of the shoe can be used to provide traction as the user walks. However, many shoes have thin treads or bottoms, and if the bottom or tread becomes wet or soiled, the lower portion of the side or heel of the shoe adjacent to the tread or bottom will also become soiled. Further, such shoe covers can move out of position as the user moves about and may not be securely fastened onto the shoe, causing the shoe cover to expose portions of the shoe that are desired to be protected.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing shoe cover devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of shoe covers now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new shoe cover device wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when protecting his or her shoes from becoming soiled or damaged.
The shoe cover comprises a body resembling a shoe and having a toe portion, a heel portion, and an ankle opening, The body includes an interior volume adapted to enclose a user's shoe therein so as to protect the shoe from dirt, debris, and the like. The ankle opening comprises an elastic band therearound adapted to secure the ankle opening around a user's ankle. The shoe cover includes a partially open sole wherein the toe portion of the sole is closed and wherein the heel portion of the sole is substantially open. A pair of mating fasteners is positioned on opposing sides of the opening on the sole that can be secured over the sole of the shoe in order to securely position the shoe cover over the shoe.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.
Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the shoe cover. For the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention, the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for protecting a shoe from dirt, debris, and the like. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect.
Referring now to
The body 22 may further comprise indicia 28 thereon to provide a decorative appearance. The indicia 28 may also serve to indicate the owner of the shoe cover 21. Any of various symbols, words, phrases, or pictures may be shown on the body 22 of the shoe cover 21 in order to provide a stylish and aesthetically pleasing appearance. Preferably, the indicia 28 is positioned on an outward facing surface of the shoe cover 21 so that the indicia 28 is easily viewed when the user is wearing the shoe cover 21 on his or her shoes.
The ankle opening 24 provides access to the interior volume 26 of the shoe cover 21. The user can insert his or her foot into the shoe cover 21 through the ankle opening 24 while the user is wearing his or her shoes. The ankle opening 24 preferably includes an elastic band 25 therearound so that the shoe cover 21 is secured in position over the user's shoe. The elastic band 25 is adapted to fit closely to the user's ankle so as to enclose the upper end of the user's shoe.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a pair of mating fasteners 31, 32 are positioned on opposing sides of the opening 30 on the sole of the shoe cover 21. The fasteners 31, 32 may include a hook and a hook receiver. In alternate embodiments, the fasteners 31, 32 include a clasp having mating portions. In this way, the user can secure the mating fasteners 31, 32 together under the sole of the user's shoe so as to securely position the shoe cover on the user's shoe. This prevents the shoe cover 21 from rolling up or sliding upward on the user's shoe, exposing the sides thereof. This fastening arrangement ensures that the sides or upper portion of the shoe are fully covered and that only a portion of the shoe's sole is exposed so as to provide the user with traction from the shoe's treads. In other embodiments, the sole 29 comprises a single fastener adapted to engage with a portion of the sole of the user's shoe in order to secure the shoe cover 21 onto the user's shoe.
Referring now to
It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/153,078 filed on Apr. 27, 2015. The above identified patent application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62153078 | Apr 2015 | US |
