Abstract
A disposable insert for footwear comprised of a top surface and a bottom surface. The top and bottom surfaces are substantially thin and made of PP spunbonded nonwoven materials to keep a wearer's foot clean by absorbing sweat, odor and dirt. The top surface has a high coefficient of friction to provide good traction to the bottom of the wearer's foot during wear, especially for those individuals whose feet tend to sweat often while wearing shoes. The bottom surface has an anti-slip adhesive coating for allowing the insert to adequately grip the insole of a shoe without leaving a residue that could damage the wearer's shoe when removed, yet easily moveable in shoes as necessary. The present invention also provides a disposable insert composed of different colors and patterns to satisfy the fashionable preferences of the wearers.
Claims
1. A disposable insert for footwear comprising: a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the surfaces are substantially thin and made of a polypropylene spunbonded nonwoven material (PP) to keep a wearer's foot clean by absorbing sweat, odor and dirt; the top surface having a frictional surface for providing good traction to the bottom of the wearer's foot during use; the bottom surface includes an anti-slip adhesive coating having a tack strength of 0.1 Lbf/in to 2.4 Lbf/in suitably configured to allow the insert to adequately grip an insole of a shoe to avoid slippage thereon during use; and the anti-slip adhesive coating further includes a peel adhesion strength of 0.1 Lbf/in to 2.0 Lbf/in suitably configured to allow the insert to be removed cleanly from the insole of the shoe without leaving a residue.
2. The disposable insert according to claim 1, wherein the PP spunbonded material is comprised of different colors to match the wearer's shoe for providing an aesthetically pleasing insert.
3. The disposable insert according to claim 1, wherein the PP spunbonded material is comprised of bright colors and patterns to provide an insert that will match the particular fashionable preference and/or style needs of the wearer.
4. The disposable insert according to claim 1, wherein said insert includes a tab on a back portion of the insert to allow the insert to be removed easily from the wearer's shoe after use.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a top view of the top surface of the disposable insert or footwear.
(2) FIG. 2 is a top view of the bottom surface of the disposable insert for footwear.
(3) FIG. 3 is a front perspective view illustrating a wearer using the disposable insert on a pair of high-heeled shoes that are open-toe. The shoe depicted in FIG. 3 is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute or form any part of the claimed invention.
(4) FIG. 4 is a front perspective view illustrating a wearer using the disposable insert on a pair of open-toe shoes or a sandal-type shoe. The shoe depicted in FIG. 4 is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute or form any part of the claimed invention.
(5) FIG. 5 is a front perspective view illustrating one embodiment of the invention where the disposable insert can be used in regular, closed-toe shoes. The shoe depicted in FIG. 5 is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute or form any part of the claimed invention.
(6) FIG. 6 is a top view of the top surface of the disposable insert for footwear showing an alternative embodiment having a front slit.
(7) FIG. 7 is a top view of the bottom surface of the disposable insert for footwear showing an alternative embodiment having a front slit.
(8) FIG. 8 is a top view of the top surface of the disposable insert for footwear showing an alternative embodiment having a front slit and a side slit.
(9) FIG. 9 is a top view of the bottom surface of the disposable insert for footwear showing an alternative embodiment having a front slit and a side slit.
(10) FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the disposable insert being used on a pair of flip-flop like shoes. The shoe depicted in FIG. 10 is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute or form any part of the claimed invention.
(11) FIGS. 11 and 12 represent a top (See FIG. 11) and bottom (See FIG. 12) view respectively of the disposable insert having a tab on the back thereof for allowing a user to easily remove the insert from the wearer's shoe after use.
(12) FIGS. 13 and 14 represent a top (See FIG. 13) and bottom (See FIG. 14) view respectively of the disposable insert having a tab on the back thereof and a front slit.
(13) FIGS. 15 and 16 represent a top (See FIG. 15) and bottom (See FIG. 16) view respectively of the disposable insert having a tab on the back thereof and having a front and side slit respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(14) The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out various embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
(15) Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 refer to a disposable insert 10 for footwear. The disposable insert 10 is comprised of a top surface 20 and a bottom surface 30. The insert 10 is made of PP spunbonded nonwoven material or the like that helps to keep a user's foot clean by absorbing sweat, odor and dirt. Moreover, the PP spunbonded nonwoven material or the like is comprised of different colors and patterns for providing an insert 10 that meets the particular fashionable preference and/or style needs of the wearer.
(16) Referring still to FIGS. 1 and 2, the insert 10 also includes a top surface 20 that has a high coefficient of friction for providing good traction to the bottom of the wearer's foot during wear. Further, the PP spunbonded nonwoven material is comprised of a dot (diamond) design, a cross (cambrella) design, or a sesamoid design or a combination. These particular designs are very helpful to users who wear high heel type shoes, platform-style shoes, or stylish/dressy high-heels since the position of a user's foot is in a compromised position as depicted in FIG. 3. Likewise, these types of designs are helpful to a user since they provide better traction and prevent slippage to the bottom of the user's foot while wearing high heel type shoes, platform-style shoes, or stylish/dressy high-heels especially during damp and/or humid conditions.
(17) Referring even further to FIGS. 1 and 2, the insert 10 additionally includes a bottom surface 30 which includes anti-slip adhesive coating 31 (not separately shown) that allows the insert 10 to adequately grip the insole of the user's shoe without damaging it.
(18) In one embodiment of the invention, the anti-slip adhesive coating 31 has a tack strength of 0.1 Lbf/in to 2.4 Lbf/in. The tack strength is a measure of the initial attraction or the grab strength of the adhesive to the insole of the user's shoe. The range of the aforementioned tack strength allows the insert 10 to adequately grip the insole of the user's shoe without slipping.
(19) In another embodiment of the invention, the anti-slip adhesive coating 31 has a peel adhesion strength of 0.1 Lbf/in to 2.0 Lbf/in. The peel adhesion strength is a measure of the bond strength between the adhesive coating 31 and the insole of the user's shoe. The range of the aforementioned peel adhesion strength allows the insert 10 to be removed cleanly from the user's insole without leaving a residue.
(20) An alternative embodiment of the invention uses a T1055+ type adhesive comprised of a proprietary water based adhesive developed to provide better temporary adhesion to a variety of substrates. This adhesive is slightly more aggressive than standard T1055.
(21) Referring to FIG. 3, a user or wearer can use the disposable insert 10 with high heel style shoes 25, platform-style shoes 25 or stylish/dressy high-heel shoes 25.
(22) Referring to FIG. 4, a user or wearer can use the disposable insert 10 with a pair of open-toe shoes 26 or a pair of sandal type shoes 26.
(23) Referring to FIG. 5, a user or wearer can use the disposable insert 10 with regular, closed-toe shoes 27.
(24) Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, an alternative embodiment of the invention includes a front slit 50 for use with flip-flop 28 like shoes as depicted in FIG. 10.
(25) Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, an alternative embodiment of the current invention includes a front slit 50 and a side slit 55 for use with a pair of flip-flop 28 like shoes as depicted in FIG. 10.
(26) Referring now to FIG. 10, an alternative embodiment of the invention allows a user or wearer to use the disposable insert 10 with flip-flop like shoes 28.
(27) FIGS. 11 and 12 represent a top (See FIG. 11) and bottom (See FIG. 12) view respectively of the insert 10 having a tab 17 on the back portion 13 thereon for allowing the insert 10 to be removed easily from the wearer's shoe. Likewise, one embodiment of the invention includes tabs 17 on the back portion of the insert 10 which can be used on both walled shoes and unwalled shoes respectively.
(28) FIGS. 13 and 14 represent a top (See FIG. 13) and bottom (See FIG. 14) view of the disposable insert 10 having a tab 17 on the back thereof and also having a front slit 50. The tab 17 allows the insert 10 to be removed easily from the wearer's shoe after use.
(29) FIGS. 15 and 16 represent a top (See FIG. 15) and bottom (See FIG. 16) view respectively of the disposable insert 10 having a tab 17 on the back thereof and also having a front 50 and side 55 slits respectively.
(30) It should be understood that the foregoing relates to various embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited to the designs mentioned in this application and the equivalent designs in this description, but it is also intended to cover other equivalents now known to those skilled in the art, or those equivalents which may become known to those skilled in the art in the future.
