AU2006100792A4 - Shoe Accessory - Google Patents

Description

2006 18:34 Wallinston-Dummer Sydney N o- 66 88 P 3 P/00/009

C)

Co Regulation 3 2B

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: Shoe Accessory The invention is described in the following statement together with the best method of performing it known to us Our Reference: 066012 COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:34 Wallinston-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 4 S- 2 0 0 y Shoe Accessory The present invention relates to a shoe accessory and, more particularly to a substrate adapted to releasably adhere to a region of a shoe and a portion of the foot region of a wearer and a method of use therefor.

0> o BACKGROUND g Shoes, particularly but not exclusively those for women, often provide less than total support for the foot of a wearer of the shoe. This is particularly the case with what might be termed 'fashion' shoes which sacrifice support for aesthetics.

Some forms of interposed or after market inserts are known which, in the main, are intended to reduce slippage in the plane of a shoe surface as between the wearer's foot and that shoe surface. For example sponge-like inserts are available to be interposed between the ball of a wearer's foot and a corresponding inside shoe surface.

However, merely seeking to reduce slippage as between one surface and another in the plane of the surface often does not improve convenience of wear or total support provided by the shoe to the wearer's foot.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:34 Wallington-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 3 0 0i An allied problem is that where straps are relied on Sto support the wearer's foot or, indeed, to retain the

C)

wearer's foot within the shoe the above mentioned devices do not assist in maintaining the relationship between the straps and the foot when placed in the shoe.

A further and related problem is that it has been 0 O observed that some women simply find it too inconvenient Nok verging on impossible to wear sling back type shoes or 0 c-i shoes with no back/heel support (known as "mules") in the sense that they simply find they cannot walk in these forms of shoes. It has been observed that this is particularly the case where a stocking or sock or the like is worn on the foot and thereby interposed between the shoe and the wearer's foot.

It is an object of the present invention to address or at least ameliorate some of the above disadvantages.

Notes 1. The term "comprising" (and grammatical variations thereof) is used in this specification in the inclusive sense of "having" or "including", and not in the exclusive sense of "consisting only of".

2. The above discussion of the prior art in the Background of the invention, is not an admission that any information discussed therein is citable prior art or COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 ib-Sen. 2006 18:34 Wall ington-Dummer Sydney No ,6688 6 0 part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art in any country, DaErE DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION In one broad form of the invention there is provided a shoe accessory adapted to releasably adhere to an inside surface o of a shoe and at the same time also releasably adhere to a wearer's foot or textile -material on the wearer's foot; 0 said shoe accessory comprising a flexible substrate; said substrate having a first working face and a second working face; said first working face lying substantially parallel to and coextensive with said second working face; said first working face spaced from said second working face in the range 0.1 millimetre to 6 millimetres; said first working face covered with a first glue layer; said second working face covered with a second glue layer.

Preferably wherein said substrate is comprised of a substantially non-extensible plastics material.

Preferably said substrate is5 comprised of an extensible, compressible material, Preferably said first glue layer preferentially adheres to said first working face and said second glue layer preferentially adheres to said second working face.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: lime (I-tm) 18:38 Date 2008-09-15 2006 18:35 Wall ington-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 7 S0 5 0 0 Preferably said first working face is spaced approximately 1 2 millimetres from said second working face.

o Preferably said first working face is spaced in the range 2mm to 4mm from said second working face.

ci 5 Preferably said substrate is in the range 4cm to 12cm in 0 o length.

I-O

^0 Preferably the length of said substrate is in the range 6cm to 12cm.

Preferably the length of said substrate is approximately 8cm.

Preferably the width of said substrate is in the range 3mm to O1mm.

Preferably the width of said substrate is in the range 3mm to 7mm.

Preferably the width of said substrate is approximately 7mm.

Preferably said inside surface of said shoe is a rear strap of said shoe adapted to support an ankle region of a wearer of said shoe.

Preferably said inside surface of said shoe is an inside heel surface.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:35 Wal ington-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 8 -6- 0 0 Preferably said inside surface of said shoe is an inside Sball of foot surface.

C)

Preferably the accessory, in use, provides resistance to relative movement between said inside surface of said shoe and said wearer's foot in three dimensions.

1O BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view with detail of a shoe accessory according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an example of use of the shoe accessory of fig 1.

Figure 3 illustrates three-dimensional resistance to movement forces acting in relation to the arrangement of fig 2.

Figure 4 illustrates a storage and presentation arrangement for the shoe accessory according to preferred embodiments of the present invention.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:35 Wal lin ton-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 9 N 7- 0 ci DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to Fig. 1 there is shown a perspective view of a shoe accessory 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

O In this instance the shoe accessory 10 comprises a Ssubstrate 11 in this instance in the form of an elongate C< strip having a first working face 12 lying substantially parallel to and spaced from a second working face 13. The two working faces 12,13 are spaced apart a distance T which in preferred forms lies in the range 0.1 to 6 millimetres and more preferably is approximately 2 millimetres.

As shown in the inset comprising section AA in Fig 1.

first working face 12 has applied to it a first glue layer 14 substantially over the entire surface thereof. Similarly the second working face 13 has applied to substantially its entire surface a second glue layer 15. Preferably the glue layer is less thick than dimension T of the substrate 11..

Preferably the glue layer 14, 15 has a thickness no greater than .1 millimetre.

In a first preferred form of use the shoe accessory is intended to be applied to an inside surface of a heel strap 16 of a woman's shoe as illustrated in Fig 2. With this particular use in mind the substrate 11 is selected to have a length in the range 4 centimetres to 12 centimetres COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:35 Wallington-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. -0 0 0 and more preferably around 8 centimetres. It is selected to Shave a width in the range 3 millimetres to 10 millimetres and more preferably to be approximately 7 millimetres in width.

pi 5 Prior to use in relation to shoe 17 the glue layers 14,15 are protected by respective first protective peelable O tape layer 18 and second protective peelable tape layer 19.

VO

o In a particular preferred form first protective peelable Cl tape layer 18 extends substantially coextensively over the entire area of first working face 12. It includes a serrated or tear portion 20 which an intending user can cause to tear apart thereby to separate first protective peelable tape layer 18 into two portions which can be peeled back and away from substrate 11. Also in a particularly preferred form second protective peelable tape layer 19 comprises a single portion extending substantially coextensively over second working face 13 except for a portion close to the ends of substrate 11 thereby allowing a user to peel the second protective peelable tape layer 19 back from either end of substrate 11 for example by inserting a finger nail between the end of the peelable tape layer and the second working face 13.

Composition: In a first preferred form substrate 11 is made from polymeric, polythene, polyurethane plastics or rubber COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:35 Wallington-Dummer Sydney N o. 66 8 P I Va 9 material or similar in the form of a substantially inextensible tape.

In a second preferred form substrate 11 is made from an extensible and compressible material. For example a silicone based gel can be utilised to construct the substrate so as to have these properties.

The glue layer comprises a glue which preferentially adheres to the working face of the substrate and not to the peelable tape layer thereby allowing the peelable tape layer to be peeled from substrate 11 whilst leaving their respective glue layers adhering to the substrate 11.

Similarly, in use the respective glue layers nonpreferentially adhere to inside surface 21 of heel strap 16 of shoe 17 and at the same type non-preferentially adhere to foot 22 of a wearer (not shown) or, in the alternative, to textile or like material 23 worn on foot 22 for example comprising a sock or stocking. A non limiting example of a suitable glue material is disclosed in US 6414073 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by crossreference.

In Use: In use a prospective user of the shoe accessory according to any of the previously described compositions or embodiments typically will purchase a pack of a predetermined number of shoe accessories (typically 6 to The user then selects a one of the shoe accessories and r COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:36 Wallington-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 12 0 peels first protective peelable tape layer 18 away from first working face 12 thereby to expose a first glue layer 14. The user then applies the first working face 12 to inside surface 21 of heel strap 16 as generally illustrated in Fig 2 whereby first working face 12 is caused to releasably adhere to inside surface 21. The user then peels osecond protective peelable tape layer 19 away from second Va o working face 13 and inserts the user's foot 22 into shoe c-I 17. Once foot 22 is fully inserted in shoe 17 second glue layer 15 will cause second working face 13 of substrate 11 to releasably adhere to the skin 22 or to textile material 23 adorning foot 22. In either instance the effect of the relationship between the working faces of the substrate 11 and heel strap 16 and foot 22 is such as to cause the relative physical relationship of heel strap 16 to be maintained relative to foot 22 throughout the duration of the wearing of the shoe 17. In particular there is resistance to strap 16 sliding down the heel of foot 22.

In an alternative form the shoe accessory 10 according to various ones of the above described embodiments can be caused to adhere to other parts of shoe 17 so as to releasably connect other portions of shoe 17 to foot 22. In one form shoe accessory 10 can be releasably adhered to inside heel surface 24 and then correspondingly, to the lower portion of the heel or foot 22.

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:36 Wallington-Dummer Sydney No 6688 P. 13 \o 11- 0 0- With reference to Fig 3 it will be observed that the Sdouble-sided tape arrangement of the substrate 11, in use,

C)

seeks to prevent relative movement between foot 22 and the relevant portion of the shoe to which the substrate 11 is (C 5 attached (in this embodiment the heel strap 16) in three dimensions. The dimensions are illustrated diagrammatically o in Fig 3 as the mutually perpendicular coordinates XX,YY o and ZZ.

SCl Surprising, in at least some embodiments, it has been observed that the three-dimensional support relationship holds even where textile material 23 or the like is interposed.

With reference to Fig 4, in one form, the shoe accessory 10 may be grouped into an even number (typically 10) and placed in a cylindrical container 25 and sealed therein. This assists in limiting degradation of the glue and other components of the shoe accessory.

Conveniently this cylindrical container arrangement can be stacked as illustrated into a dispenser 26 in a stacked vertical arrangement, which the lowermost container may be removed at time of sale. The next lowermost container is then presented under the weight of the further containers above it.

In summary, one may say that the shoe accessory in at least some preferred embodiments comprises double sided adhesive strips that seek to prevent sling back shoes and COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:36 Wal I in ton-Dummer Sydney No.6688 P. 14 0 12- 0 C( backless shoes (known as mules) from slipping when worn Seither with stockings or when the shoes are old and the

C)

t/ sling back straps have stretched.. The aim is to keep the strap from moving in any dimension relative to the foot, p- 5 for the purpose of aiding walking in these types of shoes no matter what season as the tape seeks to keep the shoe Sfrom slipping even when stockings are worn. Hence sling

VO

o backs and mules may be worn for dancing and as evening C( shoes with stockings with the benefit that in at least some preferred embodiments there is less likelihood that the wearer will lose their shoes or feel that the shoes provide insufficient support.

The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention..

COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15

Claims (5)

1. A shoe accessory adapted to releasably adhere to an inside surface of a shoe and at the same time also releasably adhere to a wearer's foot or textile ci 5 material on the wearer's foot; said shoe accessory comprising a flexible substrate; said substrate having a first working face and a second working face; said \N o first working face lying substantially parallel to and coextensive with said second working face; said first working face spaced from said second working face in the range 0.1 millimetre to 6 millimetres; said first working face covered with a first glue layer; said second working face covered with a second glue layer.

2. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said substrate is comprised of a substantially non-extensible plastics material.

3. The accessory of claim 1 wherein said substrate is comprised of an extensible, compressible material.

4. The accessory of any preceding claim wherein said first glue layer preferentially adheres to said first working face and said second glue layer preferentially adheres to said second working face. COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15 2006 18:36 Wallington-Dummer Sydney N o- 66 88 P 16 Va 14

5. The accessory of any previous claim which, in use, provides resistance to relative movement between said inside surface of said shoe and said wearer's foot in three dimensions. COMS ID No: SBMI-04774795 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:38 Date 2006-09-15