U.S. patent application number 11/039466 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-01 for attachable non-slip foot sole and methods of manufacturing and using the same.
Invention is credited to Monica Lombardo.
Application Number | 20060112591 11/039466 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36566092 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060112591 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lombardo; Monica |
June 1, 2006 |
Attachable non-slip foot sole and methods of manufacturing and
using the same
Abstract
An attachable sole for a foot comprises a substantially flat
substrate, having an upper surface and a lower surface and an
adhesive disposed on the upper surface of the substrate. The
adhesive is adapted to attach the substrate to the bottom of a foot
and to allow easy removal of the substrate from the foot. The lower
surface of the substrate is at least somewhat resistant to slipping
when in contact with a smooth floor.
Inventors: |
Lombardo; Monica; (Mount
Kisco, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Karl F. Milde, Jr., Esq.;MILDE & HOFFBERG, LLP
Suite 460
10 Bank Street
White Plains
NY
10606
US
|
Family ID: |
36566092 |
Appl. No.: |
11/039466 |
Filed: |
January 20, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60632140 |
Dec 1, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/7.5 ;
36/15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 15/02 20130101;
A43B 13/36 20130101; A43B 13/32 20130101; A41B 11/008 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/007.5 ;
036/015 |
International
Class: |
A43B 3/12 20060101
A43B003/12; A43C 13/00 20060101 A43C013/00 |
Claims
1. An attachable sole for a foot, comprising: (a) a substantially
flat substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface; and (b)
an adhesive disposed on the upper surface of said substrate, said
adhesive being adapted to attach said substrate to the bottom of a
foot and to allow easy removal of said substrate from said
foot.
2. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein the lower
surface of said sole is at least somewhat resistant to slipping
when in contact with a smooth floor.
3. The attachable sole defined in claim 2, further comprising a
non-skid layer affixed to said lower surface of said substrate.
4. The attachable sole defined in claim 3, wherein said non-skid
layer includes a plurality of pellets.
5. The attachable sole defined in claim 2, wherein said substrate
is made of non-skid material.
6. The attachable sole defined in claim 5, wherein said non-skid
material is elastomeric.
7. The attachable sole defined in claim 6, wherein said non-skid
material is rubber.
8. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate
is made from a material selected from the group consisting of
paper, plastic, woven cloth, non-woven cloth and an elastomeric
material.
9. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate
is in the shape of a human foot.
10. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate
is in the shape of an animal foot.
11. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, further comprising a
graphic image of at least some elements of a foot imprinted
thereon.
12. The attachable sole defined in claim 11, wherein said elements
of a foot are selected from the group consisting of animal paw pads
and human toes.
13. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein said adhesive
is adapted to removably attach said substrate to one of a sock and
stocking on the said foot, at the bottom of said foot.
14. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein said adhesive
is selected such that the sole is attachable to, and removable from
cloth.
15. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, wherein a plurality of
soles are arranged in a stack, removably attached to each other by
means of said adhesive, whereby each sole is adapted to be removed
from the stack prior to attachment to the bottom of a foot.
16. The attachable sole defined in claim 1, further comprising a
removable protective layer covering said adhesive, said layer being
adapted to be removed prior to attachment of the sole to the bottom
of a foot.
17. A method of using an attachable sole for a foot, said sole
comprising: (a) a substantially flat substrate having an upper
surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being at least
somewhat resistant to slipping when in contact with a smooth floor;
and (b) an adhesive disposed on the upper surface of said
substrate, said adhesive being adapted to attach said substrate to
the bottom of a foot and to allow easy removal of said substrate
from said foot; said method comprising the steps of: (1) covering a
foot with one of a stocking and sock; (2) attaching said sole on
the bottom of said covered foot with the adhesive; (3) walking on a
smooth floor with said covered foot with the sole attached; thereby
to inhibit the foot from slipping on said smooth floor.
18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein a non-skid layer is
affixed to said lower surface of said substrate.
19. The method defined in claim 18, wherein said non-skid layer
includes a plurality of pellets.
20. The method defined in claim 17, wherein said substrate is made
of non-skid material.
21. The method defined in claim 20, wherein said non-skid material
is elastomeric.
22. The method defined in claim 21, wherein said non-skid material
is rubber.
23. The method defined in claim 17, wherein said adhesive is
adapted to removably attach said substrate to said one of a
stocking and sock on the said foot, at the bottom of said foot.
24. The method defined in claim 17, wherein said adhesive is
selected such that the sole is attachable to, and removable from
cloth.
25. The method defined in claim 17, further comprising the step of
removing a protective layer covering the adhesive prior to
attachment of the sole to the bottom of a foot.
26. A method of manufacturing an attachable sole for a foot, said
sole comprising: (a) a substantially flat substrate having an upper
surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being at least
somewhat resistant to slipping when in contact with a smooth floor;
and (b) an adhesive disposed on the upper surface of said
substrate, said adhesive being adapted to attach said substrate to
the bottom of a foot and to allow easy removal of said substrate
from said foot; said method comprising the steps of: (1)
continually removing a web of said substrate from a roll thereof;
(2) continuously covering said substrate with said adhesive on said
upper side thereof after it is removed from said roll; (3) cutting
said substrate with said adhesive into foot shapes.
27. The method defined in claim 26, further comprising the step of
continuously applying a protective layer over said adhesive prior
to said cutting step.
28. The method according to claim 26, further comprising the steps
of (1) continuously removing a plurality of webs of said substrate
from rolls thereof and (2) continuously covering the substrates
with said adhesive on the upper sides thereof after they are
removed from said rolls; and continuously placing one substrate on
top of the other prior to the cutting step.
29. The method defined in claim 26, wherein the movement of said
substrate is interrupted during said cutting step.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an attachable non-slip sole
for a foot which protects the bottom of the foot, sock or stocking
against soiling and increases friction so as to inhibit
slipping.
[0002] Webster's Dictionary defines "sole" as "the under surface of
a foot" or "the bottom of a shoe". In the context of the present
invention, a "sole" is defined as any substrate, usually
substantially planar, which is attachable to the underside of a
foot, be it bare or covered (for example with a sock, stocking,
slipper or shoe).
[0003] Soles have been designed and used for many purposes. Their
chief purpose has been to protect the foot against the pain and
possibly injury of contacting sharp objects. A secondary purpose
has been to protect the foot, or the sock or stocking covering the
foot, against soiling. Still another purpose has been to protect
the foot against slipping on the surface beneath it.
[0004] Especially when a foot is covered by a sock or stocking, it
is liable to slip on smooth surfaces, such as smooth floors of
hardwood, linoleum or tile. In such cases also, the sock or
stocking collects dirt and grime from the floor and thus becomes
quickly soiled, often permanently so. This well-known problem is
particularly acute when children run free in stocking feet. As a
result they are liable to fall and in some cases become
injured.
[0005] This problem has engendered quite a number of solutions:
means and methods for reducing the danger of slipping and
protecting the foot against soiling. The principal mode of
protection has been to provide the foot, be it covered or not with
a sock or stocking, with a non-slip "sole"; that is, a piece of
slip-resistant material beneath the foot. Advantageously, the
material also serves to cushion the step and to absorb moisture, as
are the materials disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,724 and
5,714,229, respectively.
[0006] Various means have been used to attach the slip-resistant
material to the sock or stocking-covered foot. The U.S. Pat. No.
6,708,342 discloses various means for releasably attaching non-skip
material or "gripper members" to the bottoms of feet by "suitable
fasteners such as snaps, zippers, hook and loop [Velcro], etc." The
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,274 discloses an "anti-slip hosiery article"
which retains an "anti-slip lower sole portion" on a foot by
incorporating this non-slip material into the hosiery itself. As is
well known, slippers with all types of non-slip soles have also
been used to cover and protect the feet.
[0007] All of these known devices for providing a foot with a
non-slip sole have been relatively inconvenient to use and
unnecessarily expensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present
invention to provide a non-slip sole for a foot which is easy and
convenient to attach.
[0009] It is a still further object of the present invention to
provide an attachable non-slip sole for a foot which is as easy to
remove as it is to attach.
[0010] It is a further object of the invention to provide an
attachable non-slip sole for a foot which is extremely easy and
inexpensive to manufacture.
[0011] These objects, as well as further objects which will become
apparent from the discussion that follows, are achieved, in
accordance with the present invention, by providing a sole for a
foot which comprises a substantially flat substrate having an upper
surface with an adhesive, for releasably attaching the substrate to
a foot, and having a lower, non-slip surface.
[0012] A sole of this type may be quickly and easily attached to
the underside of a foot, be it bare or covered with a sock,
stocking or the like, and easily removed when it is no longer
needed. When attached, the foot is protected against slipping on
smooth floors, such as floors having a hardwood, linoleum or tile
surface.
[0013] The sole according to the invention also protects the foot
or foot cover (for example, the sock or stocking) against
contamination by dirt or grime from the floor.
[0014] The bottom surface of the sole may be made resistant to
slipping by forming the substrate of a non-skid material, such as
an elastomeric or rubber-type material. Alternatively or in
addition, the bottom surface of the sole may be provided with a
non-skid layer, such as a layer which provides an elastomeric
surface or a rough surface formed, for example, with a plurality of
small pellets that serve to grip an adjacent surface.
[0015] The substrate of the sole can be made of virtually any
durable flat material such as paper, plastic, woven cloth,
non-woven cloth and, as mentioned above, an elastomeric material
such as rubber.
[0016] The sole can be furnished in any desired shape, such as the
shape of a human foot, an animal foot or the like. The sole may
also have imprinted thereon one or more graphic images, such as
images of animal paw pads or human toes.
[0017] As noted above, the sole may be attached directly to the
bottom of a foot, or to the bottom of a sock or stockinged foot, by
means of a suitable adhesive. Any number of adhesives may be used
for this purpose, provided that the sole adheres to the bottom of
the foot, or to the bottom of the sock or stockinged foot for the
desired length of time and provided that the sole is relatively
easily removable.
[0018] The adhesive is preferably covered, prior to attachment to a
foot, by sandwiching the adhesive between two adjacent soles.
Alternatively, a separate, removable layer may be provided to cover
and protect the adhesive prior to attaching a sole to a foot.
[0019] The preferred use of the sole is with a foot that is covered
by a stocking or sock, since when so covered, the foot is prone to
slip on a smooth floor. The sole is merely attached to the bottom
of the covered foot by means of the adhesive. Thereafter, the
person may simply walk on a smooth floor with his/her feet covered
by a sock or stocking and with a sole attached to each foot. The
sole will inhibit the feet from slipping on the smooth floor.
[0020] The sole according to the invention may be made by hand or
may be mass produced in a continuous manufacturing process. This
process, which will be described below, is also a feature of the
present invention.
[0021] For a full understanding of the present invention, reference
should now be made to the following detailed description of the
preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the application of
a sole, according to the invention, to the bottom of a stockinged
foot.
[0023] FIGS. 2A and 2B are bottom views of a sole, according to the
invention, on which is imprinted a graphic image of a human foot
and an animal paw, respectively.
[0024] FIGS. 3A-3D are cross-sectional views showing the
composition of the sole according to the present invention, in four
different embodiments.
[0025] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a stack of soles with
the composition as shown in FIG. 3A.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a representational diagram of a manufacturing
process, according to the invention, for producing a sole with the
composition shown in FIG. 3B.
[0027] FIG. 6 is a representational diagram of a manufacturing
process, according to the invention, for producing a sole with the
composition shown in FIG. 3A.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now
be described with reference to FIGS. 1-6 of the drawings. Identical
elements in the various figures are designated with the same
reference numerals.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a non-slip foot sole 10, according to the
invention, intended for application to the bottom of a stockinged
foot 12. The sole comprises a substantially flat, flexible
substrate having an upper surface 14 and a lower surface 16. The
upper surface of the substrate is coated with an adhesive, so that
the sole may be removably attached to the bottom of the stockinged
foot 12. The lower surface 16 of the sole is made at least somewhat
resistant to slipping when in contact with a smooth floor.
[0030] When attached to the bottom of the foot 12, the sole 10
serves to inhibit the foot from slipping and also to prevent dirt
and grime from soiling the bottom of the stocking.
[0031] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate two possible shapes of the sole
10. In FIG. 2A, the sole is cut in the shape of a human foot. In
addition, the lower surface 16 of the sole is imprinted with a
graphic image, in this case showing the heel and toes of a
foot.
[0032] FIG. 2B shows an alternative embodiment wherein the sole is
cut in the shape of an animal paw. In this embodiment, paw pads are
imprinted on the lower surface of the sole.
[0033] FIGS. 3A-3D illustrate various compositions of a sole
according to the invention. In FIG. 3A, the simpliest embodiment,
the substrate 18 is made of an elastomeric material so that the
lower surface 16 is naturally resistant to slipping on a smooth
floor. The upper surface of the substrate 18 is coated with an
adhesive 20 of a type which renders the sole 10 easily attachable
to, and also easily removable from, the bottom of a stockinged
foot.
[0034] FIG. 4 shows how a plurality of soles 10 of the type
illustrated in FIG. 3A may be arranged in a stack. Due to the
adhesive 20 the soles are retained in the stack, but they may be
easily peeled off, one by one, when they are to be used. This stack
protects the adhesive layers, prior to use, against contamination.
The adhesive surface of the top-most layer may be covered by an
additional, protective layer 22, as shown.
[0035] FIG. 3B shows an alternative embodiment wherein the adhesive
20 on the substrate 18 is covered by a separate, protective layer
24. As in the case of the embodiment in FIG. 3A, the substrate 18
is made of an elastomeric, non-skid material.
[0036] FIG. 3C shows a further embodiment, similar to FIG. 3A,
except that the substrate 18 is provided with a non-slip layer 26
on its lower surface. In this case, the substrate 18 may be made of
any suitable flexible material, such as a plastic sheet. The
non-slip layer 26 may comprise, for example, a plurality of small
pellets which are retained by a suitable adhesive to the lower
surface of the substrate, to form a sandpaper-like surface.
[0037] FIG. 3D shows a fourth embodiment similar to that of FIG.
3B. In this embodiment, the adhesive 20 on the upper surface of the
substrate 18 is covered by a protective layer 24. As in the case of
the embodiment of FIG. 3C, the lower surface of the substrate 18 is
provided with a non-slip layer 26.
[0038] The adhesive 20 is selected to provide good adhesion to the
bottom of a stockinged foot, while allowing the sole 10 to be
easily removed therefrom without tearing or damaging either the
sole or the stocking. Many suitable adhesives are well known in the
art. For example, the adhesive may be the same or similar to the
adhesive used with self-sticking labels and/or self-sticking
postage stamps. Other adhesives, such as those used for
Post-it-Notes, may also be used.
[0039] FIG. 5 illustrates a method of manufacturing soles in the
embodiment of FIG. 3B. In this case, a web of substrate material is
unwound from a roll 30 and moved slowly but continuously in the
direction from left to right as shown in the drawing. In a first
stage, semi-liquid adhesive is deposited on the web from a nozzle
32. A doctor blade 34 smooths the adhesive across the width of the
web leaving an even coating 36. Thereafter, a protective layer is
applied from a roll 38 and pressed down against the adhesive with
the aid of a roller 40. Thereafter, the combined substrate,
adhesive and protective layer are passed across a number of rolls
42, 44, 46 and 48 which cause the web to move intermittently,
rather than continuously, forward.
[0040] Between intermittent motions, the web is cut into individual
sole shapes by means of a vertically moving stamper 50. After
cutting, the web is transported to a final stage (not shown) where
the soles are separated from each other and packaged for
shipping.
[0041] FIG. 6 is a diagram, similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the
manufacture of stacks of soles of the type shown in FIG. 4. In this
case, a number of identical units 52 and 54, each similar or
identical to the section of FIG. 5 comprising elements 30, 32, 34
and 36, are arranged successively and in tandem. Each unit lays
down a single substrate layer with an adhesive on its upper
surface, building up multiple layers to form a stack. Elements 38
and 40 lay down the final, protective layer on the multiply layered
web. Thereafter, the stack of layers is cut to form stacks of soles
by the cutter 50.
[0042] There has thus been shown and described a novel attachable
non-slip foot sole which fulfills all the objects and advantages
sought therefor. Many changes, modifications, variations and other
uses and applications of the subject invention will, however,
become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering this
specification and the accompanying drawings which disclose the
preferred embodiments thereof.
* * * * *