U.S. patent application number 11/140503 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-30 for self-adhering pedicure footwear.
Invention is credited to Vonda Manley Strong.
Application Number | 20060265903 11/140503 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37461651 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060265903 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Strong; Vonda Manley |
November 30, 2006 |
Self-adhering pedicure footwear
Abstract
A cushioned foot pad configured to adhere to the bottom surface
of an individual's foot without the use of straps, ties, or other
securing devices the might otherwise engage with the toes and
toenails of the individual during use. The cushioned foot pad may
be configured to accommodate a variety of different foot shapes and
sizes in a unitary design through the use of detachable pad
portions. The cushioned foot pad is relatively inexpensive to
manufacture and may be stored in bulk without consuming undo
space.
Inventors: |
Strong; Vonda Manley;
(Corona, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET
FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Family ID: |
37461651 |
Appl. No.: |
11/140503 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/25R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 7/26 20130101; A43B
3/26 20130101; A43B 3/106 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
036/025.00R |
International
Class: |
A43B 13/14 20060101
A43B013/14; A43B 13/00 20060101 A43B013/00 |
Claims
1. A cushioned foot pad for use during the application of a
pedicure, comprising: an elongated pad body extending between a
heel portion and a toe portion and between a left side and a right
side, the pad shaped and sized to follow a contour of a human foot;
and an adhesive surface disposed on an upper surface of the pad
body, the adhesive surface configured to removably secure the pad
body to a sole of a foot when applied thereon, the adhesive surface
further configured to inhibit the pad body from detaching from the
sole once applied thereon, wherein the pad body is contoured to
provides a protective margin about the foot and to not engage the
toe nails of the foot when applied thereon, worn, and removed
therefrom.
2. The foot pad of claim 1, wherein pad body is strapless.
3. The foot pad of claim 1, wherein the pad body has at least one
detachable section configured to tailor the pad to a variety of
foot shapes and sizes and provide the user with an improved fit and
comfort.
4. The foot pad of claim 3, wherein the at least one detachable
section is defined by a perforation on the pad body.
5. The foot pad of claim 4, further comprising shoe size indicators
on at least one of the upper and a lower surface of the pad body,
the indicators configured to associate a particular perforation
with a selected shoe size.
6. The foot pad of claim 3, wherein the at least one detachable
section is defined by a scoring on the pad body.
7. The foot pad of claim 3, wherein the at least one detachable
section is a detachable side section on at least one of the left
and right sides of the pad body, the detachable side section
selectively detachable to conform the pad to a left or right
foot.
8. The foot pad of claim 3, wherein the at least one detachable
section is disposed along at least one of the toe portion and heel
portion, the detachable section selectively removable to allow
customization of the pad body to accommodate a variety of different
foot sizes.
9. The foot pad of claims 1, further comprising toe separators to
space a user's toes from one another.
10. The foot pad of claim 9, wherein the toe separators are
integrally formed on the pad body and are defined by selected
perforated regions of the pad body.
11. The foot pad of claim 10, wherein the toe separators are at
least partially separated from the pad body about the perforations
such that the toe separators extend between the toes of the
foot.
12. The foot pad of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer
of a generally resilient material disposed on a lower surface of
the pad body, wherein the protective layer is configured to resist
punctures, tears and moisture.
13. The foot pad of claim 12, wherein the protective layer has a
patterned portion that provides the pad body with improved traction
when worn by the user.
14. The foot pad of claim 1, further comprising a liner removably
attached to the adhesive surface, the liner configured to protect
the adhesive surface prior to use of the pad.
15. A cushioned foot pad for use during the application of a
pedicure, comprising: an elongated pad body extending between a
heel portion and a toe portion and between a left side and a right
side, the pad shaped and sized to follow a contour of a human foot;
an adhesive surface disposed on an upper surface of the pad body,
wherein the adhesive surface removably secures the pad body to a
sole of a foot when applied thereon and inhibiting detachment of
the pad body from the sole to allow a user to walk while wearing
the pad body; and means for customizing the pad body to one of a
variety of foot shapes and sizes, wherein the pad does not engage
the toe nails of the foot when applied thereon, worn, and removed
therefrom.
Description
PRIORITY INFORMATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/574,664 filed May 26, 2004, the entire contents
of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference and should
be considered a part of this specification.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present teachings relate generally to footwear and more
particularly to a self-adhering cushion that protects the lower
portion of the foot without the use of straps or ties.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] After the performance of a pedicure or similar
beautification treatment, an individual normally must wait a
predetermined length of time before putting on a conventional shoe,
sandal or slipper to avoid marring or damaging recently applied
nail polish or lacquer. The setting time for such treatments may be
an hour or more and even after this time the polish can still be
easily scratched by a shoe worn before the polish has completely
dried. Consequently, an individual's mobility may be undesirably
hampered limiting what activities can be performed and may result
in a long wait time in the salon after completion of the
pedicure.
[0006] Conventional pedicure sandals have been developed in an
attempt to address this problem, by allowing the individual to wear
a generally lose fitting article of footwear that provides some
degree of protection to the bottom portion or sole of the foot. A
limitation associated with these designs however, is that the
sandals still employ straps, ties, or various securing assemblies
that render the freshly polished nails of the individual's foot
susceptible to damage when the sandals are put on or taken off.
Additionally, these securing assemblies may rub against toenails
during use and undesirably affect the nail treatment. Consequently,
it is desirable to provide an improved article of footwear that
does not require securing assemblies that are prone to engage with
the nail surface during use.
[0007] Another consideration is that many salons provide their
customers with pedicure sandals to be worn both before and after
pedicure treatments. In such instances, maintaining a sufficient
quantity of sandals to accommodate a large number of customers
represents an expensive undertaking. Therefore, it is desirable for
such sandals to be constructed in a cost-effective manner and in
some instances be disposable. Furthermore, providing sandals for
customer use may be problematic as a result of the need to maintain
a sufficient stock to accommodate a variety of different foot
sizes. Storage problems may also arise as a result of to the
generally bulky nature of conventional sandals making them
inconvenient to store in large quantities. For these and other
reasons, it is desirable to provide an article of footwear that may
be inexpensively produced and easily stored in bulk quantities.
Additionally, it is desirable that such footwear be adjustable to
fit a variety of different foot sizes and configurations.
SUMMARY
[0008] The aforementioned needs are satisfied by a self-adhering
pedicure article according to the present teachings. The pedicure
article comprises cushioned or foam footwear formed from a shaped
pad that includes an upper adhesive surface used to secure the pad
to the bottom portion or sole of a foot. The footwear does not
require the use of straps, ties, or other securing devices that
might interfere with an individual's toenails and therefore avoids
damaging recently applied polish, coatings, or lacquer. The
footwear may be worn before, during and after pedicure treatments
and may be further used outdoors reducing or eliminating mobility
constraints imposed upon the individual while waiting for the
pedicure treatment to set and dry.
[0009] In one aspect, the footwear is formed in such a manner so as
to accommodate a variety of different foot sizes and/or shapes in a
singular configuration. Detachable portions of the shaped pad are
used to tailor it to an individual's foot thereby providing
improved fit and comfort. In certain embodiments, the detachable
portions may be used to conform the footwear to a plurality of
different shoe sizes. Additionally, the shaped pad may be
configured individually for right/left feet or a universal design
may be used with a single configuration conformable to both feet
based on the shape of the pad or through the use of detachable side
portions. In another aspect, the footwear may include toe
separators formed from a portion of the shaped pad that may be used
to provide a convenient means for spacing the individual's toes
from one another.
[0010] The footwear of the present design may be manufactured
relatively inexpensively to provide a disposable design amenable to
temporary use both indoors and outdoors. Additionally, in certain
embodiments, the footwear is configured to be manufactured and
stored in bulk without taking up significant amounts of space
thereby making it more convenient for salons to keep a large stock
on hand to service incoming clients.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a cushioned foot
pad secured to a user's foot.
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective view of a cushioned
foot pad showing its bottom surface.
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a plurality of detachable members formed
about the toe and heel regions of the foot pad.
[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a protective liner covering an adhesive
portion of the foot pad.
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of toe-spacers used in
connection with the foot pad.
[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates detachable side members used in
connection with the foot pad.
[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the material
used in the fabrication of the cushioned foot pad.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a cushioned foot pad
100 to be secured to an individual's foot 105 providing a degree of
protection without shoes. The cushioned foot pad 100 is sized and
shaped in such a manner so as to follow the contours of the foot
105 and provides a margin 110 about the periphery of the foot. The
cushion foot pad 100 further comprises an adhesive surface 120 that
secures the pad 100 to the foot 105 in a removable manner. The
adhesive surface 120 provides sufficient adhesive properties such
that the individual may walk and move about as desired without the
foot pad 100 becoming detached from the foot 105 during use.
Additionally, when removed from the foot 105 the foot pad 100
leaves little or no residue on the foot 105 and therefore may be
taken off and replaced immediately by socks and shoes as
desired.
[0019] The cushioned foot pad 100 is configured with a selected
cushioning thickness 130 such that when secured to the foot 105 a
degree of comfort is provided when standing or walking. The foot
pad 100 may be formed from numerous compositions including but not
limited to foam, rubber, plastic, or other materials, and, as will
be described in greater detail hereinbelow, may include a layered
composition of different materials. In general, the foot pad 100
provides a barrier between the foot 105 and the ground such that
the individual may walk about without soiling the bottom of the
foot 105. The foot pad 100 is typically constructed to be flexible
or semi-flexible providing improved contact with the bottom portion
of the foot 105 and allowing a relatively large surface area of the
bottom foot to be adhered to the foot pad 100.
[0020] In one exemplary application, the cushioned foot pad 100 may
be used in connection with pedicure treatments wherein the
individual's toes are painted, coated, or lacquered and set to dry
for a period of time before shoes are put on. Unlike conventional
pedicure sandals, the foot pad 100 of the present design desirably
does not engage with the toenails of the individual when put on,
taken off, or worn. Consequently, this manner of use provides an
improved degree protection to the individual's recently treated
toenails without necessitating straps or other securing means that
might otherwise damage the pedicure treatment.
[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates another perspective view of the cushioned
foot pad 100 depicting one configuration of its overall shape and
lower surface 140. In one aspect, the lower surface 140 may be
formed from a generally resilient material capable of resisting
punctures, tears, and moisture. The composition of the lower
surface 140 may differ from or be the same as the other portions of
the foot pad 100 and fabricated from foam, rubber, or plastic and
may include a patterned or treaded portion 150 that provides
improved traction and avoids slippage during use.
[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the cushioned foot
pad 100 including one or more detachable sections 160. Each
detachable section 160 comprises a portion of the foot pad 100
which has been perforated or scored 170 to allow the foot pad 100
to be adjusted as desired. The detachable sections 160 may reside
along a toe portion 180 or heel portion 185 of the foot pad 100
with a plurality of perforations or scorings 170 provided to allow
customization of the foot pad 100 to accommodate a variety of
different foot sizes and shapes. During use, the foot may be placed
directly on the adherent portion 120 of the pad 100 and those
sections 190 that extend beyond the area secured to the foot 105
removed by tearing along the appropriate perforation or score 170.
Alternatively, shoe size indicators 195 may be imprinted about the
upper or lower surfaces of the foot pad 100 and used to associate a
particular perforation or scoring with a selected shoe size. In
this embodiment, prior to use, the individual detaches that
appropriate sections 160 from the foot pad 100 resulting in proper
sizing of the pad 100.
[0023] Unlike conventional pedicure sandals that are manufactured
to predesignated sizes (e.g. small, medium, large), the foot pad of
the present design provides a one size fits all approach that can
be tailored for individual use without leaving significant residual
material extending beyond the surface area of the bottom of the
foot. It will be appreciated that use of the detachable sections
160 in connection with the foot pad imparts a customization feature
to the foot pad 100 that improves comfort and reduces the
likelihood of the individual tripping on excess material. At the
same time, this configuration also simplifies supply requirements
for a salon or store providing the foot pad 100 to its customers
wherein inventory difficulties associated with maintaining ample
stock of selected sizes can be simplified and substantially
illuminated.
[0024] FIG. 4 illustrates a removable liner or peel-off portion 210
of the foot pad 100 that covers and protects the adhesive layer 120
prior to use. In one aspect, the liner 210 comprises a paper or
plastic layer (possibly treated with an anti-stick coating) that
may be easily removed from the adhesive layer 120 and allows the
foot pads 100 to be stored or stacked together without adherence to
each other. In various embodiments, the liner 210 is of a
commercially available type associated with the selected adhesive
used in connection with the foot pad 100.
[0025] FIG. 5 illustrates the use of a plurality of integral
toe-spacers 230 formed from a portion of the foot pad 100. In
various embodiments, the toe-spacers 230 may be formed by
perforating selected regions of the foot pad 100 in the general
region of the toes of the individual. During use the toe spacers
230 are at least partially separated from the foot pad 100 about
the perforations such that they extend between the toes of the
foot. The use of toe-spacers 230 desirably facilitates various
operations of the pedicure including toenail painting and polishing
by retaining the individual's toes in a selected position.
[0026] FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the foot pad 100 that
provides a unitary design 250 capable of being configured for
either the right or left foot. Detachable side sections 260 may be
selectively removed based on which foot the foot pad 100 will be
used. Construction of the foot pad 100 in this manner may be
desirable from both a manufacturing and marketing perspective to
maintain a lower overall cost associated with use of the foot pad
100.
[0027] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section of the foot pad 100
depicting its various layers and components. In once aspect, the
pad 100 is formed from a closed cell synthetic resin foam with a
buoyant or cushioning layer 305 comprising cross linked ethylene
vinyl acetate copolymer foam, cellular cushioning material (e.g.,
bubble wrap.RTM.), or other type of material. The cushioning layer
305 may be formed of a thickness of approximately 10 mm though 50
mm or more depending on the desired degree of cushioning and
protection sought.
[0028] The adhesive portion 120 is formed on the upper surface 310
of the cushioning layer 305 with the liner 210 residing in contact
with the adhesive layer 120 until use. Additionally, the resilient
or protective layer 140 may be optionally formed on the lower
surface 320 of the cushioning layer 305 and have a selected
thickness sufficient to provide protection against punctures,
tears, and other sources of potential injury or discomfort to the
user.
[0029] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the
aforementioned design features of the foot pad 100 may be combined
in numerous different ways and are not mutually exclusive of one
another. In general, the foot pad 100 of the present teachings
desirably maintains a low cost construction technique that is also
amenable to bulk storage without taking up large amount of space.
For example, the foot pads may be manufactured using a foam sheet
or roll material that may be conveniently stacked and stored in
relatively large quantities without occupying as much room as
conventional designs.
[0030] Given the above description of the various foot pad
configurations their use will be readily understood.
[0031] Prior to use, the user determines which foot (right or left)
to which the pad 100 is to be applied. If the pad 100 is provided
with detachable sections, the user may elect to tear the unused or
extending sections away, along the perforations. The user may
alternatively wish to initially allow all sections to remain
attached to the foot pad to provide increased protective coverage,
and subsequently detached later.
[0032] Next the user exposes the adhesive layer 120 by removing the
liner portion 210 of the foot pad 100. This may be done by simply
lifting the mating edges upwardly and pulling the remainder of the
liner sections 210 from the adhesive surface 120. In this form, the
pad 100 may be attached to the desired foot 105.
[0033] The pad 100 is attached by pressing the selected foot 105
onto the adhesive surface 120, taking care to substantially center
the foot 105 to engage the appropriate portions of the pad 100
which aid in aligning other portions of the pad 100 along the
bottom surface of the foot 105. The adhesive layer 120 will
releasably secure the pad 100 to the user's foot 105, and at the
same time protect the bottom surface of the foot 105. Attachment in
this manner provides not only a resilient barrier but also
increases sanitaryness as the user stands or walks about.
[0034] In addition to the aforementioned uses described in
connection with pedicure applications, it will be appreciated that
the pad 100 may also be used for other purposes such as to improve
cleanliness when in a public shower, locker room, hotel, or other
facility where an individual may desire to remove one's footwear
and walk about without directly contacting the floor. In such
instances the pad 100 provides a convenient means by which to
protect the feet from dirt or germs present on the floor and can be
disposed of after use.
[0035] For example, at security checkpoints at airport terminals an
individual may be required to remove his shoes to pass through a
metal detector. In the process, the individual may be required to
walk barefoot or in stocking feet on the floor. The use of the pad
100, after removal of the shoes directly on one's feet (or attached
to the socks, nylons, or other foot coverings) may desirably
prevent foot contact with the airport floor which may be dirty or
contaminated and thus improves overall safety and hygiene.
[0036] In another embodiment, the pad 100 may be configured as a
device to be secured to the sole of a shoe rather than directly to
the foot. In this embodiment, the pad 100 provides the ability to
improve cleanliness in a similar manner and may used to prevent
dirt from being tracked across a carpet or rug.
[0037] Although the foregoing description of the present teachings
has shown, described and pointed out novel features of the
invention, it will be understood that various omissions,
substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the
apparatus as illustrated, as well as the uses thereof, may be made
by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of
the present invention. Consequently the scope of the present
teachings should not be limited to the foregoing discussion but
should be defined by the non-provisional application and claims
contained therein to be subsequently filed.
* * * * *