Patent Application
20250113896
The present disclosure relates generally to a shoe cover to be worn on a user's shoe while bowling, and more specifically to a disposable shoe cover that covers the sole of a user's shoe to make the shoe suitable for bowling.
Commercial bowling alleys typically require that bowlers wear bowling shoes while bowling and walking on bowling surfaces, such as bowling lanes and the polished wooden floors surrounding the bowling lanes. Traditional bowling shoes are designed with soles that slide against bowling surfaces without damaging the surface. The soles of bowling shoes typically maintain some traction against bowling surfaces so that bowlers can step, pivot, and control a bowling ball during a bowling match.
While some bowlers, such as professional bowlers, may own their own bowling shoes, bowling shoes are expensive and may be impractical to purchase for infrequent or casual bowlers. Many recreational bowlers rent bowling shoes from a bowling alley, however, rented shoes may fit more poorly than a user's own shoes, may be unsanitary, and may not be as aesthetically pleasing as a user's own shoes. Despite this, bowling alleys generally do not allow bowlers to wear street shoes-such as tennis shoes or casual shoes-on the bowling lanes. Street shoes may damage the bowling lanes, introduce dirt and grime onto the bowling lanes, and may not slide properly against the floor of a bowling alley, which makes them poorly suited for bowling.
More recently, some disposable shoe covers have been developed that can be worn over a bowler's street shoes to allow the bowler to wear their street shoes during a bowling match. However, many existing disposable shoe covers for bowling are made of thin materials and prone to ripping, making them too fragile for multiple bowling games. Existing shoe covers may also fit loosely around the wearer's shoe, causing the covers to slide, change position relative to the wearer's shoe, and fall off during use. Further, existing shoe covers for bowling typically surround the wearer's entire shoe so that the wearer's street shoes are not visible while wearing the shoe covers. Accordingly, there is a need for a shoe cover for use while bowling that provides adequate slipping and traction against a bowling surface, avoids damage to the bowling surfaces, fits securely around a wearer's shoe, and maintains the aesthetics of the shoes.
The above objects are realized in a disposable shoe cover that is worn over the sole of a user's shoes while bowling. The shoe cover is formed from a fabric body that can be stretched to surround and the sole of a user's shoes, while an upper portion of the user's shoe remains uncovered. The shoe covers may thereby mimic the appearance of the sole and blend in with the sole of a user's shoe while maintaining the aesthetic of the upper portion of the shoe. Advantageously, the portion of the shoe cover that surrounds the sole is made from a material that can be stretched to accommodate most types of shoes, such as tennis shoes or casual shoes, as well as some platform shoes and thick-soled shoe designs. The portion of the shoe cover that underlies the sole of the wearer's shoe is formed of a material that slides easily against a bowling lane and protects the bowling lane from dirt and damage. The sole of the shoe cover includes various non-slip gripping portions that create traction against the bowling lane and give the wearer the grip needed to walk on a bowling lane, control a bowling ball, and prevent unintended slipping on slippery surfaces. The body of the shoe cover and the gripping portions on the sole are durable enough that a user can play multiple games of bowling using a single pair of shoe covers. Accordingly, the shoe cover provides an inexpensive and sanitary alternative to bowling shoes that achieve the functionality of bowling shoes without sacrificing the convenience, comfort, and style of street shoes.
An exemplary shoe cover includes a sole portion configured to slide on a bowling surface. The shoe cover also includes one or more gripping portions disposed on the sole portion, the one or more gripping portions configured to create traction against the bowling surface. The one or more gipping portions include a first gripping portion disposed beneath a heel of the user when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of a user, and a second gripping portion disposed beneath a ball of the user's foot when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of the user. The shoe cover also includes an upper portion comprising an opening configured to receive a sole of the user. The upper portion is stretchable to surround at least a portion of the sole.
In some examples, when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of the user, the upper portion fits snugly around the sole of the shoe. In some examples, the upper portion is stretchable to surround at least 2.5 cm of the sole of the shoe. In some examples, the upper portion comprises an elastic region encircling the opening. In some examples, the elastic region comprises non-slip silicone. In some examples, when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of the user, the elastic region contacts a sole of the shoe to secure the shoe cover to the shoe. In some examples, a width of a heel region of the upper portion is greater than a width of a toe region of the upper portion. In some examples, a heel region of the upper portion includes an anti-slip region configured to contact a rear portion of the sole when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of the user. In some examples, when the shoe cover is worn on the shoe of the user, the upper portion does not cover an upper portion of the shoe. In some examples, the upper portion comprises an elastic material. In some examples, the upper portion comprises nylon. In some examples, the sole portion is shaped to underlie a sole of the shoe. In some examples, the sole portion comprises a fabric. In some examples, the sole portion comprises cotton. In some examples, the one or more gripping portions comprise a polymeric material. In some examples, the one or more gripping portions comprise non-slip silicone. In some examples, a width of the one or more gripping portions is greater than 1 mm. In some examples, a width of the first gripping portion is greater than or equal to 2 mm. In some examples, the upper portion has greater elasticity than the sole portion.
An exemplary method of using a shoe cover configured to be worn on a shoe of a user for bowling on a bowling surface includes inserting a sole of the shoe into an opening in the shoe cover. The shoe cover includes an upper portion comprising the opening; a sole portion configured to underlie the sole of the shoe, the sole portion configured to slide on a bowling surface; a first gripping portion disposed on the sole portion beneath a heel of the user, the first gripping portion configured to create traction against the bowling surface; and a second gripping portion disposed on the sole portion beneath a ball of the user's foot, the second gripping portion configured to create traction against the bowling surface. The method also includes stretching the upper portion around the sole such that the upper portion surrounds at least a portion of the sole of the shoe and does not surround an upper portion of the shoe.
The present application can be understood with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. It is intended that the embodiments and figures described herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.
The following description is presented to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the various embodiments. Descriptions of specific devices, techniques, and applications are provided only as examples. Various modifications to the examples described herein will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other examples and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments. Thus, the various embodiments are not intended to be limited to the examples described herein and shown, but are to be accorded the scope consistent with the claims.
Described herein are shoe covers configured to be worn over the sole of a user's shoe while bowling. The shoe cover includes a stretchable fabric body that configured to be worn over the sole of a shoe. To wear the shoe cover, a user inserts the sole of their shoe into an opening in the upper portion of the shoe cover. The upper portion can then be stretched around the sole of a user's shoes to cover the sole of the shoe while leaving an upper portion of the shoe uncovered. The upper portion of the shoe cover fits snugly around the sole of the shoe to improve the adherence of the shoe cover to the shoe and to mimic the appearance of typical street shoes. A sole portion of the shoe cover is formed from a fabric that slides easily across on a bowling surface with little resistance. Various non-slip gripping portions (e.g., silicone pads) are located on the sole of the shoe cover to provide traction against the bowling surface and to allow a user to walk, pivot, and control a bowling ball while wearing the shoe covers. Additional regions of non-slip material are included on the interior surface of the shoe cover to secure the shoe cover against the sole of the shoe and to prevent the shoe cover from slipping off or changing position relative to the shoe.
As mentioned above, the upper portion 110 of the shoe cover is configured to stretch to accommodate shoes having soles of various sizes and shapes. In some examples, upper portion 110 of the shoe cover 100 is formed from a durable fabric or textile, such as a stretchable nylon, a cotton, a polyester, a spandex, or another suitable fabric or combination thereof. The nylon may be any desired nylon or a combination thereof, such as any of nylons 6, 6/6, 6/9, 6/10, 6/12, nylon 11, nylon 12, and/or nylon 46. In some examples, the upper portion 110 is formed from a relatively more elastic material than the sole portion 120, such that the material of the upper portion can be stretched by the user to cover the entire sole of a shoe, while the sole portion 120 of the shoe cover 100 remains beneath the user's shoe and stretches a relatively lesser amount (or does not stretch).
In some examples, a width of the upper portion 110 may be approximately equal to the thickness of a sole of a shoe. As used herein, the width of the upper portion 110 is used to signify the distance between the opening 112 in the upper portion and the seam 130 that connects the upper portion 110 with the sole portion 120 (see, e.g., the 3 cm or 3.5 cm widths shown in the various shoe covers 200A-200E shown in
In some examples, the opening 112 of the upper portion 110 is smaller than the sole of a shoe and the user must stretch the opening into a larger size to fit the shoe cover around the sole of the shoe. In some examples, when the shoe cover 100 is worn by a user, the upper portion 110 fits snugly around the sole of the shoe. To improve the attachment of the shoe cover 100 to a shoe, the upper portion 110 of the shoe cover may include one or more features for securing the upper portion around the sole of the shoe. For instance, in some examples, the upper portion 110 includes an elastic region 114 encircling the opening 112 around the perimeter of the opening. When the shoe cover 100 is worn over the sole of a shoe, the elastic region 114 is stretched around the perimeter of the sole and may impart an inward force around the perimeter of the sole to secure the upper portion 110 of the shoe cover to the sole. The elastic region 114 may be formed from a stretchable and elastic material that allows the opening 112 to increase in size to accommodate the sole of a shoe and returns the opening 112 to a smaller unstretched size when the shoe cover is removed from the shoe. In some examples, the length of the perimeter of the elastic region 114 (and/or the length of the perimeter of the opening 112) may be less than the length of the perimeter of the sole of a shoe.
In some examples, the elastic region 114 includes one or more regions of non-slip silicone applied to the surface of the material upper portion 110. In some examples, the elastic region 114 is disposed on an interior surface of the upper portion 110 and is configured to contact the sole of the shoe when the shoe cover 100 is worn on a user's shoe to secure the shoe cover to the sole. Advantageously, the material of the elastic region 114 may provide friction against the sole of the shoe to prevent the shoe cover 100 from slipping off or changing position when the shoe cover is worn. In some examples, the elastic region 114 includes one or more regions of non-slip silicone applied an interior surface of the upper portion 110 and encircling the perimeter of the opening 112. In a more particular example, the elastic region 114 includes two concentric regions of silicone encircling the perimeter of the opening 112. However, in other examples the elastic region 114 includes more than two regions of silicone encircling the opening. In some examples, the silicone of the elastic region 114 has a thickness of approximately 1 mm. Additionally or alternatively, the elastic region 114 may include one or more elastic bands that encircle the opening 112. In such examples, the elastic band forming the elastic region 114 may be sewn into the fabric of the upper portion 110 or may be joined to an edge of the upper portion 110 that forms the perimeter of the opening 112.
In some examples, a heel region of the upper portion 110 includes an anti-slip region 116 that provides additional friction against the sole of the shoe to prevent a heel region of the upper portion 120 from sliding off the sole a shoe. In some examples, the anti-slip region 116 may be formed from the same material as the elastic region 114, such as a non-slip polymer such as silicone or PVC. The anti-slip region 116 may be disposed on an interior surface of the upper portion 110 such that the anti-slip region is configured to contact a rear portion of the sole when the shoe cover is worn on a shoe. In some examples, the anti-slip region 116 extends across a length of a heel region of the upper portion 110. In some examples, the anti-slip region 116 is positioned below the elastic region 114 proximate to the user's heel. In some examples, the anti-slip region includes one or more stripes, dots, or a pattern formed of a non-slip silicone material. In some examples, the thickness of the anti-slip region is substantially the same as the thickness of the elastic region 114 (e.g., a thickness of approximately 1 mm). However, in other examples, the anti-slip region 116 has a thickness greater than the thickness of the elastic region (e.g., approximately 2 mm or greater than 2 mm).
The shoe cover 100 additionally includes a sole portion 120 configured to underlie the sole of the shoe when the shoe cover is worn on a shoe. In some examples, the sole portion 120 is joined to the upper portion 110 of the shoe cover at a seam 130 that encircles the perimeter of the shoe cover 100. In some examples, the upper portion 110 and the sole portion 120 are joined by stitching the material of the sole portion with the material of the upper portion 110. In some examples, the sole portion 120 and the upper portion 110 are stitched at the seam 130 with one or more cotton threads. However, in other examples, the shoe cover is formed from a single portion of material (e.g., a single piece of fabric) and the upper portion 110 and the sole portion 120 are integrated and the shoe cover does not have a seam.
The sole portion 120 of the shoe cover 100 is configured to slide against a bowling surface to allow a user to pivot and slide their feet across a bowling surface without excess friction. For instance, the sole portion 120 may be formed of a fabric or textile that slides easily across polished wood and other materials used as bowling surfaces (e.g., bowling lanes and the like). In various examples, the sole portion 120 of the shoe cover may include a woven fabric or textile, such as one or more of a cotton, a nylon, a felt, a polyester, or another suitable fabric or combination thereof. In a particular example, the sole portion 120 includes a fabric blend including 50% cotton, 10% polyester, and 40% nylon. However, any desired ratio of cotton, polyester, nylon, and other fabrics may be used. In some examples, the material of the sole portion 120 is thicker than a material of the upper portion 110 of the shoe cover.
The sole portion 120 may be shaped be shaped similarly to the bottom of a sole of a shoe and/or the bottom of a user's foot. For instance, the sole portion 120 may include a heel region configured to underlie the user's heel when the shoe cover 100 is worn by a user, a toe region configured to underlie the user's toes when the shoe cover is worn by a user, and an arch region configured to underlie a user's arch when the shoe cover is worn by a user. In some examples, the heel region and the toe region may have a relatively greater width than the arch region. However, in some examples the width of the sole portion 120 is substantially the same in the heel region, the toe region, and/or the arch region. Exemplary dimensions of the sole portions of shoe covers are shown in
To provide adequate traction against a bowling surface, one or more gripping portions 122, 124 are disposed on an exterior surface of the sole portion 120. The one or more gripping portions 122, 124 are configured to not slide on the bowling surface (e.g., create traction or resistance against the bowling surface) and may be positioned such that a wearer of the shoe cover 100 can apply pressure with their foot at the gripping portions 122, 124 to create traction against a bowling surface. The gripping portions 122, 124 may be formed from a material that creates friction when moved while in contact with polished wood and other materials used as bowling surfaces. For instance, the one or more gripping portions 122, 124 may be formed from a polymer, such as non-slip silicone or PVC. In some examples, the material of the gripping portions 122, 124 is the same as the material of the elastic region 114 and/or the non-slip region 116. The gripping portions 122, 124 may be formed on the sole portion 120 by applying the material of the gripping portions to the surface of the material of the sole portion (e.g., by painting, stamping, patterning, or otherwise adhering the material of the gripping portions to the surface of the sole portion 120).
In some examples, a plurality of gripping portions are disposed at various locations on the sole portion 120 of the shoe cover 100. For instance, as seen in
The amount of traction between the sole portion 120 and a bowling surface may be increased or decreased by including a greater or lesser surface area of the gripping portions compared with the surface area of the sole portion, respectively. For instance, a greater number of gripping portions may be included on the sole portion 120 to provide greater traction between the sole portion and a bowling surface or a lesser number of gripping portions may be included on the sole portion to provide lesser traction between the sole portion and the bowling surface. Accordingly, various versions of the shoe cover may be designed for bowlers having different weights, levels of experience, and desired amounts of traction by modifying the surface area, number, size, or location of the gripping portions 122, 124. For instance, a “professional” shoe cover may be provided for professional bowlers and may have a relatively lower surface area of the gripping portions 122, 124 relative to a surface area of the sole portion 120 and relatively lower traction with a bowling surface, while a “recreational” shoe cover may be provided for recreational bowlers and have relatively greater surface area of the gripping portions relative to a surface area of the sole portion and relatively higher traction with a bowling surface. The “recreational” shoe cover may differ from the “professional” shoe cover in that it includes different amounts and positioning of the gripping portions, such as additional gripping portions placed near the user's toes. In some examples, a “professional” shoe cover may be formed from more resilient materials or is not disposable, while a “recreational” shoe cover is disposable.
To allow the shoe cover 100 to withstand multiple games of bowling, the thickness of the gripping portions 122, 124 may be such that the gripping portions do not wear away or substantially degrade after multiple games of bowling. For instance, in some examples the gripping portions 122, 124 do not wear away after one bowling match, after two bowling matches, after three bowling matches, after four bowling matches, or after more than four bowling matches. In some examples, the gripping portions have a thickness of at least 1 mm, a thickness of at least 2 mm, or a thickness between 1 mm and 2 mm. In some examples, the thickness of the first gripping portion 122 may be thicker than the thickness of a second gripping portion 124. For instance, the first gripping portion 122 in the heel region of the sole portion may have a thickness of about 2 mm, while the second gripping portion 124 in the toe region may have a thickness of about 1 mm.
In some examples, the shoe covers are provided in a range of sizes corresponding to the shoe size of the user or to a range of shoe sizes corresponding to the shoe size of the user. In some examples, the shoe covers may be provided in standardized sizes (e.g., small, medium, large, XL, and XXL sizes; toddler, child, and adult sizes; men's and women's sizes; or some combination of standardized sizes).
As mentioned above, the upper portion 210A-210E is formed from a stretchable material (e.g., a nylon) that can be stretched to increase the coverage of the material over the sole of shoe. The upper portion 210A-210E may include an amount of material that extends between an opening in the upper portion and a seam with the sole portion by a width. In some examples, the width of the upper portion 210A-210E may be about 2.5 cm, about 3 cm, about 3.5 cm, or about 4 cm. In some examples, the width of the upper portion varies between a heel region of the upper portion, an arch region of the upper portion, and a toe region of the upper portion. For instance, in some examples, the width in the toe region of the upper portion is about 2.5 cm or about 3 cm, while the width of the arch region is about 3 cm or about 3.5 cm, respectively, while the in the heel region is about 3.5 cm or about 4 cm, respectively.
In some examples, the length of the sole portion is about 10 cm, about 15 cm, about 20 cm, about 25 cm, or about 30 cm. In some examples, the width of a sole portion is about 5 cm, about 10 cm, or about 15 cm. However, greater or smaller sizes are also anticipated. The size of the gripping portions and may also be scaled (e.g., increased or decreased in size) proportionally with the size of the shoe cover. For instance, a first gripping portion disposed on a heel region of the sole portion (the first gripping portion visible in the lower half of the sole portion shown in
It should be noted that the elements and features of the exemplary shoe covers discussed above may be rearranged, recombined, and modified without departing from the present invention. For instance, while a number of gripping portion configurations have been described above, the number, placement and spacing of the gripping portions can modified without departing from the subject invention. Further, while
It will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention, and that various modifications, alterations and combinations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Any of the variations of the shoe covers disclosed herein can include features described with respect to any of the exemplary shoe covers described herein. Furthermore, any of the methods can be used with any of the shoe covers disclosed. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/587,979, filed Oct. 4, 2023, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63587979 | Oct 2023 | US |
