Electrically Conductive Covering For Shoes

Abstract

A sanitary covering for a shoe fabricated from a blank of disposable flexible material to provide a total covering for a shoe and having an electrically conductive tape in the bottom or sole portion thereof arranged to have direct conductive contact with the shoe and with a floor surface.

Description

The invention relates to improvements in sanitary disposable protective coverings for shoes and is of the type generally used in clean and sterile operating rooms in hospitals and then discarded after use. They function to prevent dust on the shoes from contaminating the atmosphere in the room, and cross-contamination between patients and doctors and other hospital personnel. The shoe covering includes a strip or tape of electrical conductive material secured to the sole thereof in such manner as to have direct contact with the shoe and with the floor surface. The conductive tape extends beyond and in contact with the heel of the shoe and is of sufficient length to be tucked into the top of the shoe or into the wearer's sock so as to have direct contact with the skin on the leg of the wearer. Thus, the covering is particularly adapted for use in hospital surgeries, or in any other establishment where static electricity creates a hazard.

Known types of shoe coverings are in the form of boots or similar configurations fabricated from a number of parts sewn or otherwise joined together and fitted with tie strings or elestic bands to draw them snugly about the top of the shoe enclosed thereby. Such shoe coverings invariably leave uncovered the lower extremeties of the trouser legs and frequently are open on their sides due to unequal sagging or lopsidedness. Further, known types of electrically conductive shoe coverings attach an electrical conductive tape on the bottom outside of the sole portion of the covering, which tape is also secured to and extends upwardly over the outside of the heel portion thereof. Such structures are not totally effective for their intended purpose primarily because there is no grounding of the wearers shoe with the floor surface. The herein disclosed structure overcomes this deficiency by providing means to place the shoe in direct electrical contact with the floor surface by arranging the conductive tape in such manner that it is exposed both inside and outside of the shoe covering.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novelly constructed shoe covering.

Another object is to provide a shoe covering, made of disposable material, which embodies means to enclose the trouser leg of the wearer.

Another object is to provide a protective shoe covering with novel means to establish direct electrical contact between the shoe and the ground surface.

Another object is to provide s shoe covering of the character referred to which is not expensive or difficult to manufacture, and which is easy to apply and has an electrical conductive tape attached to its sole portion which extends along the inside of the heel flap and is of sufficient length to be tucked into the shoe of the wearer or directly against the skin of the wearer's leg.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a blank of material used to make a shoe covering.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shoe covering showing it secured in place over a shoe.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing part of the shoe covering broken away and illustrating the tape tucked into the top of the shoe.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing the tape tucked into the wearer's sock so as to have contact with the skin.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating a modified construction of the shoe blank.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on line 6--6 of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a plan view of another modified form of blank.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on line 8--8 of FIG. 7.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4, the shoe covering is preferably made up of a single blank 11, made of tissue or other fibrous disposable material. The blank may be characterized as having a toe portion 12, side portions 13 and a back or heel portion 14. This blank is partially formed to be fitted over a shoe 10 by stitching, gluing, or otherwise securing the free edges 15 of the toe portion 12 to the related front edges 16 of the side portions 13 to define a formed front end to receive the toe and body portions of the shoe.

When the shoe 10 is fitted thereinto, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heel portion 14 of the blank connected to the sole portion only is carried up to overlie the back portion of the heel of the shoe and is of sufficient width to overlie the rearmost margins of the side walls 13 as shown in FIG. 2. It is essential to note that the side portions 13 and heel portion 14 preferably are of such width and length as to extend upwardly beyond the top of the shoe and beyond the wearer's ankle, thus making it possible for the bottom of the trouser leg 16 to be tucked into the top of the covering to create a closed system or a more sterile-like type of smart dress-technic for an operating room.

After the trouser leg is tucked in, suitable means such as a tie string or elastic band 17, preferably secured to the heel flap,, is brought around the ankle and tied to secure the shoe covering in place.

In order to ground the wearer to the floor, a tape of conductive material 19 may be sewn, glued or otherwise attached to the bottom face of the sole portion of the shoe covering. As shown in FIG. 1, the tape is of such length that its back end portion 19a can be threaded through a slit 21 in the sole portion and extended loosely over the inside face of the heel portion 14. This material is electrically conductive and of a thickness of two or three mils, such as a product known commercially as "Valostat" manufactured by Custom Materials Inc.,. Aluminum foil tape is also suitable for this purpose. The tape 19-19a is of sufficient length as to extend beyond the end edge of the heel portion and the free end or tuck-in tab may be tucked into the shoe of the wearer, as shown in FIG. 3, or into the sock 22, as shown in FIG. 4, so as to contact the skin of the leg of the wearer to afford a direct conductive electrical contact therewith.

In the FIG. 5-6 disclosure of the blank, which is contoured like the blank shown in FIG. 1, the conductive tape 19 is laid over, and secured by stitching or otherwise, to the inside or upper face of the blank with its end portion 19a overlying but not secured to the inside surface of the heel portion 14. However, the blank is formed with a slit 23 defining a flap 24 that is laid over one longitudinal margin of the tape so as to cause said tape to be exposed on the bottom surface of the sole portion, as best illustrated in FIG. 6. In other respects the structure is like that previously described and like numerals identify corresponding parts.

FIGS. 7-8 depict another modified structure wherein like numerals are used to identify corresponding parts. Here the tape 19 is suitably secured, as by stitches or otherwise, to the inside or top surface of the blank with its extension 19a overlying but unsecured to the heel portion 14. The blank has a slot 25 therein underlying the tape portion 19 so as to expose the tape on the underside of the sole portion of the blank.

It should be quite evident that in each of the embodiments herein disclosed, the tape 19 is totally or partially exposed on the bottom face of the shoe covering while maintaining direct electrical contact with the shoe of the wearer.

The structures herein disclosed can be made to accommodate a wide range of different shoe sizes.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, and modifications thereof, in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact constructions described and shown.

Claims

I claim:

1. A sanitary protective covering for a conventional shoe comprising a blank of flexible material including a sole portion, side walls and a heel flap portion; said side walls being joined together at the toe portion of the covering to provide a closed front end to embrace the toe, instep and sides of the shoe, the heel flap portion being connected to the sole portion only and being capable of being carried up around the heel of the shoe, an electrically conductive tape secured to the inside surface of the sole portion, said sole portion having an opening therein to expose at least a portion of said tape on the bottom side thereof for contact with a floor surface, a heel extension on said tape loosely overlying the inside surface of the heel portion and of sufficient length to be tucked into the top of the shoe, and means to secure the upper portions of the side walls and heel flap portion snuggly about the ankle of the wearer.

2. The covering recited in claim 1, wherein the heel flap portion is of sufficient width to permit its side margins to overlie the side walls to insure total enclosure of the heel area of the shoe.

3. The covering recited in claim 1, wherein the opening in the sole portion comprises a longitudinally elongated slot of lesser width than the tape and underlying at least a portion of said tape so as to expose said tape on the underside of the sole portion.

4. The covering recited in claim 1, wherein the opening in the sole portion comprises a longitudinal slit to permit one longitudinal margin of the tape to be disposed on the outside surface of the sole portion.

5. The covering recited in claim 4, wherein the slit defines a longitudinal flap coextensive with a part of the length of the tape and adapted to overlie one margin of the tape so as to expose the other marginal portion of the tape on the outside surface of the sole portion.