Boots – shoes – and leggings – Boots and shoes – Overshoes
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-19
2001-04-24
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Boots and shoes
Overshoes
C036S057000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219938
ABSTRACT:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to protective clothing and, more specifically, to a covering for a shoe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of a plethora of examples of a place where a covering over the bottom of a shoe is particularly desirable is in a hospital. The shoe covering could prevent an accumulation of dirt on the bottom of the shoe resulting in a spread of microbes among a population that has a low resistance to disease. The shoe covering is additionally desirable in many types of industrial establishments, such as a clean room of a semiconductor factory.
Similarly, when a homeowner has a workman install a carpet in a home, it is preferable that the carpet be clean at least prior to either the homeowner or a member of the homeowner's family setting foot on the carpet. Accordingly, it is desirable that the workman wear the shoe covering.
Likewise, when a person enters an automobile, dirt from the person's shoes is usually deposited upon the floor of the automobile. The deposition of the dirt can be prevented by the person wearing the shoe covering prior to entering the automobile.
One of the typical problems of the shoe coverings in the prior art is that they do not fit a multiplicity of sizes of shoes. That is, when the shoe covering fits a small shoe of a female, it usually does not fit a large shoe of a workman. Thus, it is desirable that a shoe covering be able to fit a range of shoe sizes.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the shoe covering be simple and inexpensive to manufacture. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,281 discloses a covering that fits almost all sizes of shoes. However, the '281 covering includes elastic yarn and requires a considerable amount of stitching. Therefore, the '281 covering is undesirably complex and may be expensive to manufacture.
There is a need for a shoe covering that fits a multiplicity of sizes of shoes and is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a shoe covering that fits a multiplicity of sizes of shoes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a shoe covering that is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to construct.
According to the present invention, a cloth retention strip is folded to form two plies. The retention strip is fixedly disposed along the border of a cloth panel. A draw string that is retained between the plies is operable to draw the panel over the toe and around the heel of a shoe that is placed upon the panel.
The invention provides a shoe covering that fits either a left shoe or a right shoe. The invention includes a draw string that is operable to cause the size of the shoe covering to vary to fit a multiplicity of sizes of shoes. Various covering sizes may be used to accommodate a wider variety of shoe sizes such as one size for smaller shoes and another size for larger shoes. The shoe covering is easily used and is washable to permit reuse. A rubberized pad may be connected to an outside of the shoe covering to provide a non-skid surface. In an alternate embodiment, rubber or similar non-skid substance could be baked or deposited on the outside of the shoe covering in a dotted, crisscrossed, or solid pattern to provide a non-skid surface.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention should be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
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Anderson Philip J.
Kavanaugh Ted
Quirk & Tratos
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