USRE44193E1 - Replaceable spikes for anti-slip overshoe - Google Patents

Abstract

An overshoe that is removably disposable on a user's shoe and provides a tread surface that enhances the user's footing on slippery surfaces. The tread surface has removable spikes that penetrate surfaces and forward-oriented and rearwards-oriented gripping ridges that grip the surface. The ease of pulling on and removing the overshoe is enhanced by using stretch zones that are placed to allow stretching of the overshoe to fit over a shoe or the like without compromising the snugness of the overshoe fit. A spike assembly for use with an overshoe that fits over a person's shoe and enhances a person's contact with the ground, includes a spike having a head operably coupled to a shank; and a button overmolded on the spike and having a neck for removable engagement in a bore defined in the overshoe. A method of minimizing slippage on a ground surface is further included.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONCLAIM TO DOMESTIC PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/566,779, filed Dec. 5, 2006, now RE 42,965, which is a reissue application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/314,913 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,977, granted on Jan. 4, 2005.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,977. The reissue applications are application Ser. No. 12/713,075, filed Feb. 25, 2010, and Ser. No. 11/566,779, filed Dec. 5, 2006. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/566,779 is a reissue application of U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,977. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/713,075 is a continuation reissue of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/566,779, now RE 42,965, which is a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 6,836,977.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/648,920 filed Aug. 25, 2000 now abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is related to the field of footwear worn over other footwear. More particularly, the present invention relates to anti-slippage footwear and to a spike assembly for use with such footwear.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shoes, including athletic shoes, work boots, dress shoes, ski boots, overshoes, and all manner of footwear, provide poor traction on many surfaces, including slippery, icy, and wet surfaces. The difficulties of moving across a slippery surface, including walking, running, and jogging, result in inconvenience and injury. Slips, falls, and resultant injuries are typically caused by a lack of good footing. And even if a person does not actually fall, the need to walk slowly or with small steps over a slippery surface is inconvenient, slows movement, and is a distraction that interferes with a person's ability to be aware of their surroundings and to be alert to non-slip hazards.

The inconvenience of walking on slippery surfaces interferes with businesses that require outdoor work to be done when conditions are icy. Postal and parcel delivery, for instance, is hampered, as well as baggage handling, road repair, ambulance and emergency work, police work, and any outdoor work that cannot be stopped for inclement weather.

Runners, joggers, and persons that exercise outdoors are hampered by the loss of traction on slippery surfaces. For example, even if outdoor surfaces are slightly slippery, a jogger must take smaller strides to avoid slipping. Activities that require movement faster than a slow walk are greatly hindered in inclement conditions by a lack of suitable footwear.

Further, even the knowledge that roads and sidewalks are slippery can be detrimental. The knowledge that outdoor walking conditions are hazardous may discourage persons from engaging in normal activities. For instance, a person is more likely to choose not to walk to a store, to take a pet for a walk, or otherwise leave home if the person knows that walking conditions are slippery.

This problem is especially acute for the elderly or persons with disabilities that interfere with a standard gait. Many elderly persons experience impediments to walking that make them more likely to slip and fall under normal conditions; and in climates where snow and ice persists through a significant portion of the winter, some elderly persons become essentially home-bound. Similarly, a disability that causes an irregular gait may discourage a person from undertaking normal activities when outdoor walkways provide sub-par traction; for example, the loss of a leg may create an irregular gait that leads to added vulnerability to slipping.

Ideally, footwear that provides good traction in all weather would minimize the inconvenience of changing or removing shoes every time a person comes indoors. Further, a device that is versatile and works with many size shoes or foot-sizes is desirable so that a user, especially an organization that serves multiple persons, may stock a minimal number.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention solves the difficulties described above by providing footwear that is worn over other footwear, and is referred to herein as an overshoe. The overshoe easily slips on and off of shoes and provides excellent grip and traction on slippery surfaces. The improvement in grip and traction results in greater safety, efficiency, and confidence for a person moving across a surface. Walking or jogging is safer and the wearer of the overshoe may move with an increased stride length that is faster and more comfortable.

The overshoe has spikes that help the wearer have grip and traction on a surface; the weight of the wearer pushes the spikes into the surface so that they grip. The spikes may be made of a durable material—for instance, carbide—which resists wear and maintains a sharp point, or stainless steel. The spikes are under the heel, the ball of the foot, and forward and rearward of the ball of the foot. Thus, they are arranged so that the heel or the ball of the foot pushes spikes into the ground while walking. The forwardmost spike is pushed into the ground when the user's weight is shifted far forward—for example when running, standing on tip-toe, or leaning back with the toes pointed—a position that is naturally assumed in some situations, for instance when leaning far back while pulling a rope tied to a heavy object.

The spikes may be readily removed from the overshoe for use on surfaces that might be damaged by the spikes. Readily removing the spikes facilitates worn spike replacement, and is a safety feature that, for instance, allows a user to be freed when a spike is inadvertently wedged into a crevice in a rigid surface. As will be appreciated, the overshoe has gripping features in addition to the spikes. These features enhance traction and a user may wear the overshoe without the spikes and enjoy greatly increased traction, although maximum traction on ice is achieved with the use of the spikes. Removing the spikes is particularly useful when the overshoe is worn indoors as many household surfaces would be damaged by the spikes.

The material of the overshoe is a durable elastic material that is tough, light-weight, and flexible even in temperatures below 0° F. The term “elastic material,” as used herein, includes natural and synthetic polymers, including rubbers and reinforced rubbers, TRP, and other suitable materials.

The overshoe has a front-gripping portion that substantially encloses and grips the front toe portion of the user's shoe and a back-gripping portion that grips the back heel portion of a user's shoe. The front-gripping portion of the overshoe has an opening that accepts the user's shoe; this opening is formed in the overshoe and stays open, and therefore does not have to be held open. The user may insert the user's shoe into the opening and stretch the front-gripping portion to fit around the shoe's front. The back-gripping portion is similarly stretched around the back of the shoe to provide a secure fit. The overshoe is preferably made available in several sizes to accommodate a wide range of shoe sizes over which the overshoe is to be worn.

The back-gripping portion includes a hole that allows the overshoe to be easily put on a shoe. A user may insert a finger into a finger hole and easily stretch the overshoe by pulling. This feature is especially useful for users with limited use of their hands or reduced strength, including disabled, arthritic, and elderly persons. This feature is superior to a tab or a tab-type feature because the finger hole does not require a grip; it merely requires that the finger hole be hooked with a finger or implement.

The overshoe has an outersole that joins the front- and back-gripping portions. The top of the outersole contacts the user's shoe and the bottom is the tread surface; the spikes project from the tread surface, which also has gripping ridges.

The gripping ridges work with the spikes to provide extra traction and increase the coefficient of friction between the outersole and the surface. The gripping ridges may have a triangular shape: one side of the triangle is a push-face that is vertical to the walking surface, generally referred to as the ground herein; and another side of the triangle, the hypotenuse face, slopes back to the outersole surface and serves as a brace to the push-face. The push-face may be a forward-pushing push-face that is oriented to the front of the oversole so that it directly resists forces that tend to pull the overshoe forward. Or the push-face may be a backward-pushing push face that faces the rear of the oversole and provides a surface that resists forces that move the overshoe backward. The triangular shape distributes the force effectively to provide strength, durability, and surface area to resist movement.

The overshoe is configured so that it fits snugly and conforms to the shape of the shoe but is easy to put on and remove. The shoe material ideally is elastic so that it may be stretched by applying tension, but returns to its original shape when the tension is removed. Thus, the overshoe may be stretched by a user to fit around a shoe and its elastic force provides for a snug fit that conforms to the user's shoe. If the material is too easily stretched, however, it stretches and moves while the user is walking so that walking is more difficult. The invention reconciles these competing design needs by strategically incorporating stretch zones into the overshoe. The stretch zones are placed so that the overshoe is readily stretched by a user in the course of putting on or removing the shoe.

The stretch zones are placed in the front-gripping portion and in the back-gripping portion so that these portions may be readily stretched by the user. A stretch zone is a portion of the overshoe that is made in the shape of a narrow strip: since the ease of stretching the plastic is proportional to its cross-sectional area—the product of the zone width and thickness—control of the zone's cross-sectional area allows for control of its stretch; a small area increases stretchability. But the cross-sectional area of the zone is related to the durability and longevity of the stretch zone; a larger area increases longevity. The zones are created by introducing holes or cut-outs that reduce the amount of plastic in the overshoe. The invention includes placing these zones in areas that need to be stretched to fit over a shoe but restricting their use in overshoe areas that experience stretching loads during a user's movement. The need for ease in stretching these zones must be balanced against the need for durability and strength.

The incorporation of the stretch zones increases the versatility of the overshoe. Since the overshoe can be more readily stretched by a user than would otherwise be possible, the overshoe may be stretched to fit around a greater variety of shoe sizes. Therefore a user may accommodate all of their shoes with a minimal number of overshoes. The placement of the stretch zones allows for a better fit and for a better stretchability when the user needs it: stretchability is great when the overshoe is being put on but small when it is being worn.

The outer sole has a forward portion, a central opening, and a rearward portion. The forward portion generally underlies the front of the shoe and the rearward portion generally underlies the heel of the user. The central opening is an opening between the forward and rearward portions. The central opening minimizes the amount of material used to form the overshoe and avoids creating a space between the outersole and user's shoe that could trap unwanted material such as ice, mud, and rocks.

In an embodiment of the rearward portion of the outer sole, the rearward portion is a band of material that includes both gripping ridges and spikes. It has a surface area that contacts the ground. The rearward portion of the present invention has a rearward portion that is improved over the prior art because it has a greater surface area and has an increased thickness. Furthermore, the increased thickness allows for a plurality of gripping ridges to be incorporated so that traction is greatly improved compared to a narrower rearward portion.

The overshoe has a greater thickness in critical areas. Other anti-slip overshoes have a thickness that is essentially uniform throughout. This makes it easier to mass-produce the prior art overshoes, but the durability of such overshoes is compromised. The longevity of the overshoe of the present invention has been improved by adding extra material thickness at key areas. For instance, the rearward portion is thicker than most of the rest of the outersole; this increased thickness improves the longevity of the rearward portion. The areas around the spikes are also reinforced with extra thickness; the extra thickness increases the longevity of the overshoe because the hard material of the spikes, such as metal, tends to cause the material of the overshoe to wear down. Other areas of increased thickness are generally the stretch zones. Manipulating the thickness of the stretch zones allows their cross-sectional area to be optimized to balance longevity with stretchability.

The invention is further a spike assembly for use with an overshoe that fits over a person's shoe and enhances a person's contact with the ground and includes a spike having a head operably coupled to a shank and a button overmolded on the spike and having a neck for removable engagement in a bore defined in the overshoe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an anti-slip overshoe attached to a shoe that is shown in phantom;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 3a is a top plan view of an anti-slip overshoe with spikes removed;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 4a is a bottom plan view of an anti-slip overshoe with spikes removed;

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 6 is a rear plan view of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the Section A-A′ shown inFIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a spike molded into a supporting button;

FIG. 9 is a bottom planform view of the spike ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a spike having a serrated shank;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of an anti-slip overshoe;

FIG. 12 is a section of the outersole only taken along the section line12-12 ofFIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the anti-slip overshoe of the present invention depicted turned inside out such that the tread pattern is shown on the inside of the ball and heel portions of the overshoe;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of the overshoe ofFIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevational view of the overshoe ofFIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the overshoe ofFIG. 13 showing the inside of the ball and heel portions of the avershoe;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an alternative pattern of the tread imposed on the ball of the overshoe;

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the tread pattern ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the tread pattern taken along the section line A-A ofFIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of an alternative pattern of the tread imposed on the ball of the overshoe;

FIG. 21 is a plan view of the tread pattern ofFIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the tread pattern taken along the section line A-A ofFIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of an alternative pattern of the tread imposed on the ball of the overshoe;

FIG. 24 is a plan view of the tread pattern ofFIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a sectional view of the tread pattern taken along the section line A-A ofFIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an alternative pattern of the tread imposed on the ball of the overshoe;

FIG. 27 is a plan view of the tread pattern ofFIG. 26; and

FIG. 28 is a sectional view of the tread pattern taken along the section line A-A ofFIG. 27.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The overshoe of the present invention is shown generally at10 in the figures. Theovershoe10 is configured to fit aroundexemplary shoe5.Shoe5 may be any manner of footwear, including but not limited to shoes, boots, ski-boots, and athletic shoes.Shoe5 has a forward toe portion7, a heel portion8, and abottom9. Forward toe portion7 accommodates the user's toes and the ball of the foot. Heel8 accommodates the user's heel, andbottom9 ofshoe5 contacts the ground when theovershoe10 is not being used. The user walks or moves on the ground, such movement including walking, jumping, running, jogging, and similar movement.

Theovershoe10 has a front-grippingportion50, a back-grippingportion40, and anoutersole20. The front-grippingportion50 grips the forward toe portion7 ofshoe5 and back-grippingportion40 grips the heel portion8 ofshoe5. Theovershoe10 has an outersole20 that joins the front-grippingportion50 and back-grippingportion40.

Theoutersole20 has aforward portion26, arearward portion28, acentral opening34, a top22, and atread surface24. Theforward portion26 is generally disposable under the forward toe portion7 of theshoe5 and is continuous with therearward portion28, which is generally disposed under heel8 ofshoe5.Forward portion26 andrearward portion28 together definecentral opening34. The top of the outersole22 generally contacts the bottom ofshoe9 and the opposing bottom of the outersole istread surface24.

Spikes25 project downward fromtread surface24. Thespikes25 may be carbide, stainless steel, or other suitable materials. Thespikes25 may additionally be conventional golf spikes as used in conjunction with golf shoes.Such spikes25 are especially useful where theovershoe10 is intended for use in areas of grass and dirt. Thespikes25 are set in a spike assembly that has a top23 in the top of theoutersole20 and are replaceable by the user. The spike assembly is disposed in a bore23 (seeFIGS. 3a and 4a) formed in thematerial forming overshoe10.

Thespikes25 may be arranged in the outersoleforward portion26 as shown inFIG. 4. For example, thespikes25 may be arranged as a four-spike diamond shape with onespike25 approximately on the longitudinal axis of theoutersole20, in a position more forward than the other threespikes25 and slightly forward of the ball of the foot. Thespike25 on the opposing corner of the diamond is on the same axis and is more rearward than the other threespikes25 and to the rear of the ball of the foot. The other twospikes25 are disposed approximately beneath the ball of the foot and placed closer to the outer edge oftread surface24. Twoadditional spikes25 may be placed in rearward portion of outersole28 (FIG. 4). These twospikes25 are disposed to be approximately under the user's heel.

FIGS. 3a and 4a depict theovershoe10 withspikes25 removed from thebores23. The removal may be removed for replacement of thespikes25. Further, thespikes25 are readily removed for use on surfaces that would otherwise be marked by thespikes25.FIGS. 3a and 3b depict the reinforcingridges21 surrounding thebores23. Theridges21 have increased thickness of the elastic material forming theovershoe10.

Treadsurface24 includes gripping ridges27 (FIGS. 2,4,4a, and7). The grippingridges27 may be forward-pushinggripping ridges29 and rearward-pushinggripping ridges30. The grippingridges27 have a push-face32 and ahypotenuse face31. The height of thegripping ridge27 is its maximum length perpendicular from the tread surface. Referring toFIG. 7, the grippingridge27 has a push-face32 that is perpendicular to theoutersole20 and ahypotenuse face31 that joins the push-face32 to theoutersole20. The hypotenuse face31 of a forward-pushinggripping ridge29 faces substantially to the rear ofshoe5 so that push-face32 is oriented to provide a surface area that gives much more traction to the user as they push their foot forward, as when attempting to stop or walk backwards. Hypotenuse face31 of a rearward-pushinggripping ridge30 faces substantially to the forward ofshoe5 so that push-face32 is oriented to provide a surface area that gives traction to the user as the user pushes the foot rearward, as when walking forwards. The combination of opposite-facing directions of forward-pushing29 and rearward-pushing30 gripping ridges supply a higher degree of traction than if the ridges faced only one direction.

Grippingridge27 preferably has a height in the range of approximately three- to ten- sixty-fourths of an inch. The grippingridges27 may be shaped to have the cross-sectional profile of a right triangle (FIGS. 4,4a and7). The push-face32 defines the height of the triangle and thehypotenuse face31 joins the push-face32 to theoutersole20.

The rearward portion of theoutersole28 includes an under-heel portion50 that is disposed substantially beneath the heel of the shoe8. The under-heel portion50 may include twospikes25 and gripping ridges27 (FIG. 4). The width of the under-heel portion50, the width being measured in the plane of theoutersole20, approximately along the outersole's longitudinal axis (seeFIG. 4a), is preferably in the range of 0.85 to 1.5 inches.

Rearward portion28 andforward portions26 of outersole define central opening34 (FIG. 4).Central opening34 may be roughly square-shaped and configured to minimize the space betweenoutersole20 andshoe5 that would otherwise form a pocket that might entrap ice or other unwanted debris.

Front-grippingportion50 of the overshoe is configured to grip the forward toe portion7 of the shoe and to be form-fitting to the shoe. It is continuous withoutersole20 and is shaped so that it maintains a shape that does not require a user to hold it open when inserting the toe of shoe5 (FIGS. 1,3,5).

Front-grippingportion50 is generally stretchable by a user because it is made of an elastic material. Front-grippingportion50 includesstretch zones57 that are sized to be especially elastically deformable by a user. Thestretch zones57 are disposed so that a user may readily stretch them while putting theovershoe20 onto a shoe but so that thestretch zones57 are not readily stretched in use while the user is walking.Openings56 are used to definestretch zones57.

Front-grippingportion50 may have fiveopenings56 that define sixstretch zones57 that are disposed at the region where theoutersole20 meets the front-gripping portion50 (FIGS. 3-5). Thestretch zones57 are sized to allow optimal stretching and snugness of fit and are optimally approximately 0.5 inches in width at their narrowest points.Stretch zones57 that allow for adjustment of theovershoe20 in the shoe forward toe area7 are also incorporated into the upper surface of the front-gripping portion50 (FIG. 3).

Thestretch zones57 preferably each have an approximately equal width. Theopenings56 also preferably each have an approximately equal width. Each of theopenings56 have a width that is greater than a width of each of thestretch zones57.

The back-grippingportion40 of theovershoe20 is configured to grip the heel portion8 of theshoe5 and to be form-fitting to the shoe. It is continuous with the outersole20 and is shaped so that it maintains a shape that does not require a user to hold it open when inserting the heel8 of a shoe (FIGS. 1,3,6). The back-grippingportion40 is generally stretchable by a user because it is made of an elastic material. The back-grippingportion40 includesstretch zones57 that are sized to be especially elastically deformable by a user.

Thezones57 are disposed so that a user may readily stretch thezone57 while putting theovershoe10 onto ashoe5 but so that thezones57 are not readily stretched while the user is walking.Openings56 are used to define approximately sevenstretch zones57.

Referring toFIG. 6, with the left side of the diagram being the left side ofshoe5;stretch zones57 are defined betweenleft opening42 and the left edge; between theleft opening42 and the bottom edge, between theleft opening42 and theopening42 that is placed centrally in the back-gripping portion;right opening42 and the right edge; between theright opening42 and the bottom edge, between theright opening42 and theopening42 that is placed centrally in the back-gripping portion; and between the samecentral opening42 in the back edge and the upper edge of the back gripping portion40 (see alsoFIGS. 1,2, and5). Thestretch zones57 of theback portion40 are sized to allow optimal stretching and snugness of fit and are preferably approximately three-eights inch in width at their narrowest points.

The width dimension, W inFIG. 4a, of the under-heel band29 and the thickness, dimension T ofFIG. 6 of the under-heel portion54 and the under-ball portion52 are preferably greater to increase durability of these critical areas.

Referring toFIGS. 8-10, two further embodiments of aspike25 are depicted. The spike ofFIGS. 8,9 is formed of suitable material as indicated above that exhibits good grip and has good wear resistant qualities. Thespike25 has ahead70 and ashank72. Thehead70 presents a preferably circularouter margin74 and has a generally flattop margin76. The diameter of thehead70 is expanded to help prevent thespike25 from pushing upward through to the shoe of the user as a result of use on hard surfaces. Thespike25 is molded into abutton78 of resilient material, such as nylon or the like. Thebutton78 has an expandedhead80 to support thespike25 against the underside of the shoe of the user. Thehead80 tapers to areduced diameter neck82. The diameter of theneck82 is substantially equal to that of thebore23 formed in the outer sole20. Theneck82 expands to arim84, therim84 having a greater diameter than theneck82.

In assembly, thespike25 is set into thebutton78 when the button is in a molten state. Upon setting of thebutton78, the spike is fixed in thebutton78. Referring toFIG. 10, theshank72 of thespike25 hasserrations86 formed on the surface thereof, theserrations86 acting to form a better engagement with the surroundingbutton78.

Thebutton78/spike25 combination, comprising aspike assembly88, is coupled to theoutersole20 by slightly stretching thebore23, thebutton78 with the spike embedded therein may be readily disposed in thebore23 by pushing therim84 through the stretched bore23. When thespike25 has worn through use, thebutton78 may be simply popped out of thebore23 and areplacement button78 with embeddedspike25 popped in.

Referring toFIGS. 11 and 12, a modified embodiment of theovershoe10 is depicted. Theovershoe10 has anopening34 that extends forward from the under-heel portion54 in a generally elliptical shape. The front grippingportion50 terminates in arearward-most margin90 that is radiused, as distinct from having a point in the above embodiments. The outer-sole20 is formed of material having at least two different thicknesses. The thickness T₂in the region of greatest contact with the ground is formed in greater thickness than the thickness T₁. This is true in both theunder ball portion52 and theunder heel portion54 of theovershoe10.

A further embodiment of the anti-slip overshoe of the present invention is shown generally at100 inFIGS. 13-16. Theanti-slip overshoe100 of this embodiment is particularly suited for use with boots. Theanti-slip overshoe100 has five major subcomponents:ball102,heel104, connectingportion106,overtoe108, andoverheel110.

Theball102 has atread pattern112 formed thereon. Thetread pattern112 is comprised of two chevrons,112a, b, and atriangle112c. Thechevrons112a, b and thetriangle112c each have a pattern of spaced apartridges114. Preferably, theridges114 of thechevron112a and thetriangle112c face forward while theridges114 of thechevron112b faces rearward in order to provide traction in both directions.

Fourspike apertures116 are disposed about thetread pattern112. Each of thespike apertures112 facilitates removably fixing a downward directed spike (not shown) in therespective aperture116 in a manner as noted above. Thespikes116 are preferably oriented in a trapezoid configuration with a spacing between two forward spikes being less than spacing between two rearward spikes.

Theheel104 is disposed immediately rearward of theball102. While theball102 is designed to generally underlie the ball of the foot of a wearer of theanti-slip overshoe100, theheel104 is designed to underlie the heel of a wearer of theanti-slip overshoe100.

Theheel104 has a downward directed tread pattern118. The tread pattern118 in a preferred embodiment has arectangle pattern118a flanked by twotriangular patterns118b, c. Each of therectangular pattern118a andtriangular patterns118b, c has a plurality of spaced apart, angledridges120. Theridges120 of therectangular pattern118a are directed in the same direction as theridges114 ofchevron112a andtriangle112c. Theridges120 of thetriangular patterns118b, c are directed in the same direction as theridges114 of thechevron112b. In this manner, the ridges complement the forward and rearward traction characteristics exhibited by thetread pattern112.

A pair of spaced apart spikeapertures122 are disposed in therectangular pattern118a and have the same function as thespike apertures116 described above.

The connectingportion106 extends between theball102 and theheel104. The connectingportion106 is comprised of two spaced apart side straps124. Eachside strap124 is at an integral with theball102 andheel104, respectively. The side straps124 define a generally triangular shapedaperture126 therebetween.

The next major subcomponent of theanti-slip overshoe100 is theovertoe component108. The overtoe component is coupled to theball102 by a plurality of spaced apart straps130. As compared with prior art overshoes, thestraps130 are relatively narrow to accommodate stretching such that theanti-slip overshoe100 may be used with a plurality of different types of shoes, including the rounded, bulbous pac type boots and including more pointed cowboy type boots.

A plurality of apertures132 are defined between thestraps130. Preferably, there are five apertures132 defined by sixstraps130. A first aperture is centered on the center line134 of theanti-slip overshoe100 at the apex of theanti-slip overshoe100.

Two additional apertures132 are arrayed on either side of the apex aperture132. Preferably, theovertoe body128 is a shape that is generally semi-circular, defined by a semi-circle136 centered on anorigin138. The two apertures132 deployed on either side of the apex aperture132 are preferably equiangularly displaced from the center line134. A first aperture132 on either side of the center line134 are disposed at an angle between 30 and 50 degrees and preferably substantially 39 degrees from the center line134. The second aperture132 on either side of the center line134 is preferably disposed at angle of between 30 and 50 degrees from the first aperture and is preferably disposed at an angle of substantially 39 degrees from the first aperture132.

Thetop portion140 of theovertoe body128 additionally includes a plurality of apertures defined therein. The first such aperture is acenter aperture142 defined around theorigin138. In addition to facilitating stretching, the center aperture is useful for pulling theoverheel108 over the heel portion of a shoe by extending a finger at least partially into the first aperture.

Three radial apertures134 are centered on radaii extending from theorigin138. A firstradial aperture144 is centered on the center line134. A furtherradial aperture144 is equiangularly disposed on either side of the firstradial aperture144. Preferably, the radius on which the second tworadial apertures144 are disposed is coincident with the radius on which the first two apertures132 are displaced from the center line134. A first twoside apertures146 are defined adjacent to a respective angularly displacedradial aperture144. Inclusion of thecircular aperture142,radial apertures144, andside apertures146 in thetop portion140 defines a plurality of stretch zones between the aforementioned apertures that aid in theovertoe component108 stretching to accommodate a great variety of different shoe toe shapes are previously discussed.

The final major subcomponent of theanti-slip overshoe100 is theoverheel component110. Theoverheel110 is comprised of asingle strap148 that is displaced from theheel104. Anaperture150 is defined between theheel104 and thestrap148.

Thestrap148 is comprised of arear portion152 and two descending connectingportions154 that are connected to theheel104.

Therear portion152, which rides on the rear of the heel area of the shoe on which theanti-slip overshoe100 is disposed, includes acenter aperture156 that is preferably disposed on the centerline134. Thecenter aperture156 is preferably circular in shape. In addition to facilitating stretching, the center aperture is useful for pulling theoverheel108 over the heel portion of a shoe by extending a finger at least partially into the first aperture.

A plurality ofcurved ridges158 are disposed adjacent to thecenter aperture156. Theridges158 facilitate grasping therear portion152 and pulling it up over the rear portion of the heel of the shoe. A pair ofoval apertures160 are displaced from thecenter aperture156, oneoval aperture160 on each side of thecenter aperture156.

The connectingportion154 has a tapering margin162 that widens as theside portion154 joins the connectingportion106. Each of theside portions154 has anoval aperture164 defined therein.

FIGS. 17-28 depict four different embodiments of an alternate grip pattern formed on theball102 of theanti-slip overshoe100. Each of thetread patterns112 is circular in shape having a plurality of generallycircular ridges114. Preferably, thetread pattern112 ofFIGS. 17-28 is concentric with theorigin138. Thetread patterns112 ofFIGS. 17-28 include fourspike apertures116 generally disposed in a rectangular shape andfifth spike aperture116a disposed at the origin of thetread pattern112. An advantage of thetread patterns112 ofFIGS. 17-28 is that theridges114 are in all cases angled outward with respect to theorigin138 and thereby provide for improved traction in all quadrants radiating from theorigin138. Additionally, traction on ice is improved by including a fifth spike disposed in thespike aperture116a.

Referring to the embodiment ofFIGS. 17-19, theridges114 are circular concentric thespike aperture116a. Two of theconcentric ridges114 are interrupted by thespike apertures116.

FIGS. 20-22 depict a secondcircular tread pattern112. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 20-22, every otherconcentric ridge114 is interrupted byspaces166. Thespaces166 emanate radially from the center of thecircular tread pattern112. There are six radial sets ofspaces166 disposed equiangularly around the origin of thecircular tread pattern112.

A second set ofspaces168 also radiates from the origin of thecircular tread pattern112. There are also six sets ofspaces168 radiating from the origin. Thespaces168 intersect every othercircular ridge114, but not thecircular ridges114 that are intersected by thespaces166.

FIGS. 23-25 depict a further embodiment of acircular tread pattern112. In thiscircular tread pattern112, thespaces166,168 intersect adjacent pairs ofcircular ridges114, thespaces166 intersecting a first pair and thespaces168 intersecting an adjacent pair ofcircular ridges114. A finalcircular tread pattern112 is depicted inFIGS. 26-28. In this embodiment,circular spaces170 are included in addition to thespaces166,168 of the embodiment ofFIGS. 23-25. Thecircular spaces170 are concentric with the origin of thecircular tread pattern112 and are disposed between adjacent pairs ofridges114.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other embodiments in addition to the ones described herein are indicated to be within the scope and breadth of the present application. Accordingly, the applicant intends to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Claims (29)

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-slip overshoe that fits over a shoe and enhances contact with the ground, the shoe having a forward toe portion, a rearward heel portion and a bottom for engaging the ground, the anti-slip overshoe comprising:

a single flexible elastic piece having a ball, a heel, a connecting portion, an over-toe component, and an over-heel component;

the ball and heel being connected by the connecting portion and each of the ball and heel having a tread pattern, the tread pattern having a plurality of gripping ridges and a plurality of spikes;

the over-toe component being operably coupled to the ball with a plurality of stretch zones so that the over-toe component conformingly engages the shoe toe portion, wherein the over-toe component has a plurality of apertures, one of which extends between each of the stretch zones, and wherein the plurality of stretch zones each have an approximately equal width; and

the over-heel component being operably coupled to the heel and being adapted to conformingly engage the shoe heel portion, the over-heel component having a plurality of apertures and having a plurality of stretch zones.

2. The overshoe ofclaim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures each have an approximately equal width.

3. The overshoe ofclaim 2 wherein wherein each of the plurality of apertures have a width that is greater than a width of each of the plurality of stretch zones.

4. The overshoe ofclaim 2 wherein the plurality of apertures comprises five apertures formed proximate the intersection of the ball and the over-toe component.

5. The overshoe ofclaim 2 wherein there are apertures formed proximate the intersection of the ball and the over-toe component are disposed in a substantially semi-circular disposition.

6. The overshoe ofclaim 1 wherein each of the spikes are removably disposed in a respective bore defined in the ball and heel and are secured therein so that they may be readily replaced by a user.

7. The overshoe ofclaim 1 wherein the over-toe component includes an over-toe body, the over-toe body having a plurality of apertures defined therein, a plurality of stretch zones being formed between adjacent over-toe body apertures.

8. The overshoe ofclaim 7 wherein at least thee of the over-toe body apertures are equiangularly, radially disposed relative to an origin of a semi-circle.

9. The overshoe ofclaim 7 wherein a circular over-toe body aperture is radially disposed relative to an origin of a semi-circle.

10. The overshoe ofclaim 1 wherein a first portion of the ball gripping ridges are angled in a first direction and disposed in a first chevron arrangement and a second portion of the ball gripping ridges are angled in an opposed second direction and disposed in a second chevron arrangement.

11. The overshoe ofclaim 1 wherein the ball gripping ridges are radially disposed relative to an origin of a circle in a pattern of concentric circles with increasing radii.

12. The overshoe ofclaim 11 wherein the gripping ridges are formed in continuous circles.

13. The overshoe ofclaim 11 wherein the gripping ridges are formed in circles selectively interrupted by spaces.

14. The overshoe ofclaim 13 wherein every other gripping ridge is selectively interrupted by spaces.

15. A replaceable spike for an anti-slip overshoe, comprising:

a solid circular body including:

a button portion with a first diameter and adapted to be disposed on a first surface of the anti-slip overshoe,

a rim portion with a first height and a circular footprint including a second diameter that is less than the first diameter, the rim portion adapted to be disposed on a second surface of the anti-slip overshoe opposite the first surface, and

a neck portion disposed between the button portion and rim portion with a second height that is greater than the first height and a third diameter that is less than the first and second diameters; and

a spike permanently attached to the solid circular body, the spike comprising a tapered head with a fourth diameter included within a vertical dimension of the button portion and a shank with a fifth diameter less than the fourth diameter extending through the neck portion and exposed from the rim portion such that the fifth diameter is disposed within the neck portion.

16. The replaceable spike of claim 15, wherein the solid circular body includes a resilient material.

17. The replaceable spike of claim 15, wherein the solid circular body is nylon.

18. The replaceable spike of claim 15, wherein the shank of the spike includes serrations for gripping the solid circular body.

19. The replaceable spike of claim 15, wherein the spike contains carbide, stainless steel, or other metal.

20. A replaceable spike for an anti-slip overshoe, comprising:

a solid body including a first portion with a first height and a first diameter, a second portion with a second height less than the first height and a second diameter less than the first diameter, and a third portion disposed between the first and second portions with a third height that is greater than the first height and a third diameter that is less than the first and second diameters, wherein the solid body is configured to be replaced with respect to the anti-slip overshoe; and

a spike permanently attached to the solid body, the spike including a head with a fourth diameter disposed within the first portion and further including a surface that is coextensive with a surface of the first portion, the spike further including a shank with a fifth diameter less than the fourth diameter extending through the third portion and exposed from the second portion.

21. The replaceable spike of claim 20, wherein the solid body includes a circular form.

22. The replaceable spike of claim 20, wherein the solid body includes nylon.

23. The replaceable spike of claim 20, wherein the head of the spike includes a tapered head.

24. The replaceable spike of claim 20, wherein the shank of the spike includes serrations for gripping the solid body.

25. The replaceable spike of claim 20, wherein the spike contains carbide, stainless steel, or other metal.

26. A replaceable spike for an anti-slip overshoe, comprising:

a body including a button portion adapted to be disposed on a first surface of the anti-slip overshoe with a first diameter, a rim portion with a circular footprint adapted to be disposed on a second surface of the anti-slip overshoe opposite the first surface with a second diameter less than the first diameter, and a neck portion disposed between the button portion and rim portion with a third diameter that is less than the first and second diameters; and

a spike including a head permanently attached to the button portion and further including a surface that is coextensive with a surface of the button portion, the spike further including a shank exposed from the rim portion.

27. The replaceable spike of claim 26, wherein the body includes nylon.

28. The replaceable spike of claim 26, wherein the shank of the spike includes serrations for gripping the body.

29. The replaceable spike of claim 26, wherein the spike contains carbide, stainless steel, or other metal.

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