Boots – shoes – and leggings – Inside slippers
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-21
2002-11-26
Kavanaugh, Ted (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Inside slippers
C036S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484419
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to shoes. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular use which is shown and described, this invention relates to shoe sockliners and, in particular, covers for shoe sockliners.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that a sockliner is the part of the shoe which provides, among other things, cushioning, arch support, comfort and fit for the wearer of the shoe. As conventional, the sockliner is placed in the upper of the shoe above the shoe midsole. The sockliner if made large enough, however, may serve as the midsole of the shoe. The shoe sockliner is removable from the shoe and typically is made from non-recyclable materials such as polyurethane or EVA.
It is also known that a top cloth or cover is attached or bonded to the top surface of the sockliner, the surface on which ones foot is placed. This top cloth or cover provides the sockliner with a soft texture for added comfort and fit for the wearer's foot. Typically, the top cloth is attached to the sockliner through a gluing or a bonding process, more fully discussed below. The existing top cloth and the gluing and bonding processes for attaching the top cloth to the sockliner have numerous drawbacks which the present invention eliminates.
With respect to the gluing of the top cloth to the sockliner, the bottom surface of a sheet of top cloth is first glued to a sheet of polyurethane. The desired sockliner and accompanying top cloth are then cut from the polyurethane and top cloth sheets. The excess polyurethane and top cloth can not be used and are discarded resulting in a waste of materials. While manufacturing techniques such as nesting are used in an effort to minimize the amount of waste, there still remains waste of polyurethane and top cloth materials with this technique. Other disadvantages with this process include the manufacuturing expense of performing the multiple steps of gluing the top cloth to the polyurethane sheet and the cutting of the excess materials. Still other disadvantages include the use of polyurethane or similar materials which are non-recyclable.
Another similar gluing technique involves first molding the sockliner to the desired shape. The top cloth sheet is then glued to the top surface of the sockliner after which the edges of the top cloth that extend over the top surface are trimmed. This technique also results in waste of top cloth material and requires multiple manufacturing steps. Again, the sockliner is typically made from polyurethane, a non-recyclable material.
Bonding of the top cloth to the sockliner is another common technique for applying the top cloth to the sockliner. With this technique, a mold is used that receives the polyurethane in a liquid form. The top cloth, which has a polyurethane backing, is placed within the mold. As the liquid in the mold grows and cures, the polyurethane backing of the top cloth adheres to the growing polyurethane through a process called cross-linking. Once cured, the top cloth is bonded to the sockliner and the excess top cloth material extending beyond the edges of the sockliner top surface is trimmed. Known drawbacks with the bonding technique include the excess waste of top cloth material, the need for multiple manufacturing steps, significant equipment and mold costs, and the use of polyurethane, a non-recyclable material. Experience has also shown that with either the bonding or gluing techniques, after the shoe has been worn for a period of time, the top cloth peels away from the sockliner, diminishing the comfort and fit of the shoe. The present invention overcomes these known disadvantages associated with prior art shoe sockliners which have an attached top cloth.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages associated with gluing or bonding the top cloth to the shoe sockliner. Another object is to provide a top cloth for a shoe sockliner that does not result in waste of material. Still another object is to eliminate the multiple steps involved with gluing or bonding the top cloth to the sockliner. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sockliner that may be made from recyclable materials. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a top cloth that may be removed from the sockliner after use and either washed or replaced with a new top cloth.
Briefly, the present invention involves a removable device for covering a shoe sockliner that is not bonded to the sockliner. The device of the present invention thus permits the use of sockliners made from various materials, including foams, sponges or any other suitable recyclable materials. One embodiment of the present invention includes a flexible fabric cover which fits over the sockliner and defines a top surface, a bottom surface, and an inner volume. The top surface of the cover, the surface on which ones foot is placed, has a fabric pile that may vary in thickness to provide comfort and fit for the wearer of the shoe. The bottom surface of the cover has an opening for inserting the shoe sockliner. The inner volume of the fabric cover receives the sockliner into the cover and envelops substantially all of the sockliner. The bottom surface is elastic for securely fitting the inventive cover over the shoe sockliner. Significantly, the present invention eliminates the waste associated with known top cloth manufacturing techniques. The present invention further reduces the manufacturing process time and associated costs with the multiple steps of attaching the top cloth to the sockliner. In addition, the present invention permits the use of sockliners made from various materials, including materials that are fully recyclable. The full range of objects, aspects and advantages of the invention are only appreciated by a full reading of this specification and a full understanding of the invention. Therefore, to complete this specification, a detailed description of the invention and the preferred embodiments follows, after a brief description of the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 985666 (1911-02-01), Durieu
patent: 1030085 (1912-06-01), Hale
patent: 1588011 (1926-06-01), Campbell
patent: 1811640 (1931-06-01), Marcelle
patent: 2070814 (1937-02-01), Stemmons
patent: 2559014 (1951-07-01), Fortier
patent: 4813162 (1989-03-01), Harris
Greene Pam
Rohde Mark
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Kavanaugh Ted
Nike Inc.
LandOfFree
Sockliner cover does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sockliner cover, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sockliner cover will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2979945