U.S. patent application number 11/200231 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-23 for hygienic sandal.
Invention is credited to Arnold Asham.
Application Number | 20060059712 11/200231 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36072323 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060059712 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Asham; Arnold |
March 23, 2006 |
Hygienic sandal
Abstract
A sandal is formed of a main shoe sole with one or more straps
for engaging over the foot of the wearer and has an upstanding edge
rim defining a shallow receptacle in the upper surface of the main
shoe sole. An inner sole portion of flat foam is shaped to match
the receptacle as an insert therein and has sufficient stiffness to
remain flat in the receptacle without attachment of the inner sole
portion to the main sole portion. A flexible fabric sock is wrapped
around the inner sole portion so as to cover the upper surface
thereof and to wrap around a peripheral edge thereof with an
opening in the sock on the underside of the inner sole portion
allowing the sock to be removed from the inner sole portion for
washing and for replacement after washing.
Inventors: |
Asham; Arnold; (Winnipeg,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ADE & COMPANY INC.
P.O. BOX 28006 1795 HENDERSON HIGHWAY
WINNIPEG
MB
R2G1P0
CA
|
Family ID: |
36072323 |
Appl. No.: |
11/200231 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60601113 |
Aug 13, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/11.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A41B 11/121 20130101;
A43B 3/108 20130101; A43B 17/10 20130101; A43B 13/36 20130101; A43B
1/009 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/011.5 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/12 20060101
A43B003/12 |
Claims
1. A sandal comprising: a main shoe sole shaped to receive the foot
of a wearer thereon and having an upper surface and a ground
engaging bottom surface; a shoe upper formed of one or more straps
for engaging over the foot of the wearer, the or each of the straps
being attached to the main shoe sole to hold the main shoe sole in
place on the foot, leaving open areas between the straps for
exposure of the foot of the wearer; the main shoe sole having an
upstanding edge rim defining a shallow receptacle in the upper
surface of the main shoe sole; an inner sole portion having an
upper surface and a lower surface and a peripheral edge which
shaped to match the receptacle as an insert therein and to underlie
the foot of the wearer so that the foot contacts primarily the
upper surface of the inner sole portion; the inner sole portion
being formed of a flat layer which has sufficient stiffness to
remain flat in the receptacle without attachment of the inner sole
portion to the main sole portion; and a flexible fabric sock
wrapped around the inner sole portion so as to cover the upper
surface thereof and to wrap around a peripheral edge thereof with
an opening in the sock on the underside of the inner sole portion
allowing the sock to be removed from the inner sole portion for
washing and for replacement after washing.
2. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the inner sole is
resilient.
3. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the inner sole portion
is formed of a foamed material.
4. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the inner sole portion
is of constant thickness.
5. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the opening in the sock
is elastic so that it is tightened when released to lie wholly on
the underside of the inner sole portion.
6. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the edge rim extends
continuously around the main shoe sole.
7. The sandal according to claim 1 wherein the edge rim has at
least parts thereof which are higher than the upper surface of the
inner sole portion.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35USC119 of the
filing date of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/601113 filed
Aug. 13, 2004.
[0002] This invention relates to a sandal construction which
includes a washable sock for improved hygiene.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Maintaining footwear hygienic and odour free is an ongoing
problem for many persons which has lead to the development of many
powders and shoe inserts which absorb moisture to maintain the
footwear dry and to reduce or prevent the growth of bacteria which
often produce odour. This is a common requirement in athletic
footwear and many constructions are being provided.
[0004] In regard to sandals, despite the fact that the foot is
usually open to the atmosphere, extended wear of sandals can lead
to collection of moisture and bacteria on the construction of the
sandal which leads to the growth of odour forming bacteria. This
has remained an ongoing problem despite the fact that the open
construction of the sandal should avoid such problems due to the
ability if the structure to dry in the open air.
[0005] This is particularly prevalent when the wearer is not
wearing socks which can be of course readily removed and
washed.
[0006] One particular advantage of sandals type footwear is that
the foot is open so that socks are often undesirable.
[0007] One constructions of footwear is shown in U.S. Pat. No.
6,430,845 (NODA) issued Aug. 13, 2002 which relates to an indoor
slipper primarily designed for Japanese cultural use which includes
an inner slipper section and an outer slipper section where one
wraps over the other. This does not however relate to sandals so it
provides no solution to the on goi9ng hygienic problem with
sandals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is one object of the invention to provide an improved
sandal which may alleviate the hygiene problems prevalent with such
footwear.
[0009] According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a
sandal comprising:
[0010] a main shoe sole shaped to receive the foot of a wearer
thereon and having an upper surface and a ground engaging bottom
surface;
[0011] a shoe upper formed of one or more straps for engaging over
the foot of the wearer, the or each of the straps being attached to
the main shoe sole to hold the main shoe sole in place on the foot,
leaving open areas between the straps for exposure of the foot of
the wearer;
[0012] the main shoe sole having an upstanding edge rim defining a
shallow receptacle in the upper surface of the main shoe sole;
[0013] an inner sole portion having an upper surface and a lower
surface and a peripheral edge which shaped to match the receptacle
as an insert therein and to underlie the foot of the wearer so that
the foot contacts primarily the upper surface of the inner sole
portion;
[0014] the inner sole portion being formed of a flat layer which
has sufficient stiffness to remain flat in the receptacle without
attachment of the inner sole portion to the main sole portion;
[0015] and a flexible fabric sock wrapped around the inner sole
portion so as to cover the upper surface thereof and to wrap around
a peripheral edge thereof with an opening in the sock on the
underside of the inner sole portion allowing the sock to be removed
from the inner sole portion for washing and for replacement after
washing.
[0016] Preferably the inner sole is resilient such as formed of a
foamed material.
[0017] Preferably the inner sole portion is of constant thickness
so that it can be readily formed by cutting from a sheet of the
foamed material.
[0018] Preferably the opening in the sock is elastic so that it is
tightened when released to lie wholly on the underside of the inner
sole portion.
[0019] Preferably the edge rim extends continuously around the main
shoe sole, although it may be restricted to certain areas of the
periphery merely to hold the inner sole portion in place against
sliding side to side for forward to back.
[0020] Preferably the edge rim has at least parts thereof which are
higher than the upper surface of the inner sole portion so as to
properly hold the inner sole portion in place within the
receptacle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] One embodiment of the invention will now be described in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a sandal according to present
invention.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the sandal
of FIG. 1.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a transverse cross sectional view of the sandal of
FIG. 1.
[0025] In the drawings like characters of reference indicate
corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] In the figures it is shown a sandal construction generally
indicated at 10 including a main shoe sole 11 which carries an
upper 12 in the following party of straps 13, 14 and 15 which are
attached to the main shoe sole and extend over the sole for
attachment to the foot of the wearer.
[0027] In example shown there are three straps including a heel
strap and two straps to extend over the arch and the toe area of
the foot respectively however it would be appreciated that this
design of sandal can be used in the present invention which may
include only a single strap over the toe area or may include more
than the single strap as required by the wearer.
[0028] The main shoe sole 11 includes a sole plate 16 with a bottom
surface 17 for engaging the ground. The main sole includes the
upper section 18 attached to the sole plate 16 so that the straps
can be located between the sole plate and the main body 18 by
suitable adhesives or other fastening which hold the strap in
place.
[0029] An innersole portion 20 is located on the top surface 21 of
the main shoe sole. The inner sole portion is formed by a flat
sheet of a foamed material so as to provide a constant thickness
across its length and width and to provide some resilience under
the foot of the wearer. Around the flat resilient sheet forming the
inner sole portion is wrapped a sock 22 of a washable fabric. Thus
the sock 22 provides an upper layer 23 on the top surface 24 of the
inner sole portion and a bottom layer 25 below the bottom surface
26 of the inner sole portion. The bottom layer 25 has a hole or
opening 27 located wholly underneath the inner sole portion 20 and
dimensioned so that it is contained on the underside of the inner
sole portion. An elastic band 27A is provided around the hole or
opening 27 either by the provision of an additional elastic element
or simply by the elastic nature of the fabric itself which allows
the opening 27 to be stretched to extract the sock from over the
exterior of the inner sole portion.
[0030] The inner sole portion 20 is shaped to define a peripheral
edge 30 which matches substantially the shape of the outer sole 11.
The outer sole 11 as best shown in FIG. 2 is formed with a
peripheral rib 32 which surrounds a receptacle 33 which is recessed
form a top edge 34 of the rib 32. The receptacle 33 is a flat
bottom surface defining an upper surface of the main shoe sole. The
rib 32 is shaped so that it coincides with the outside surface 35
of the main body 18 and on the inside is chambered or inclined as
indicated at 36 so that the width of the rib increase slightly
towards the base of the receptacle 33. The peripheral edge 30 of
the inner sole portion 20 is shaped to fit against the incline
surface 36 so that it is prevented form moving side to side or
forward to back within the receptacle. The selection of the foam
forming the inner sole portion is such that it is relatively stiff
so it cannot buckle or crease under forward and backward or side to
side forces from the foot of the wearer. Thus the tendencies for
the inner sole portion to remain flat and it cannot slide over the
main sole due to the raised rib around the full periphery of the
sole and it cannot buckle due to its own stiffness. However
otherwise it remains unattached to the main sole and this can be
readily removed simply by lifting the inner sole portion out of the
receptacle 33 so that the washable sock can be readily removed and
readily replaced by a clean sock.
[0031] The use of the washable sock over the inner sole portion
allows the sock to be washed regularly to remove any collections of
bacteria or moisture. Thus the inner sole can be kept free from
odour forming bacteria without the necessity of the wearer covering
the whole of the foot with a the sock since the sock is instead
carried on the inner sole portion.
[0032] Since various modifications can be made in my invention as
herein above described, and many apparently widely different
embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims
without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that
all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be
interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
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