EP2724633A1

EP2724633A1 - Kit for making a shoe cover and method for making said shoe cover

Info

Publication number: EP2724633A1
Application number: EP13189749.8A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giuliano Fanticini
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-10-23
Filing date: 2013-10-22
Publication date: 2014-04-30
Also published as: ITPR20120070A1

Abstract

Kit for making an accident prevention shoe cover comprising:
-a first reinforcement tip (2) that identifies a concavity (20) intended to house the toe of a user's foot;
-a disposable heat-shrink plastic film (3) intended to define or contribute to defining a wrapping (32) which houses the first tip (2) and the foot of the user.

Description

The present invention relates to a kit for making an accident prevention shoe cover and a method for making the shoe cover.
It is known that in order to be able to access the production areas of companies, visitors must wear an accident prevention shoe cover. For example, a system is known comprising a tip equipped with an elastic strip which is constrained to the tip at its two ends. Hence the toe of the foot is inserted in the tip while the elastic is made to pass around the heel in order to keep the tip constrained to the foot.
This solution is not free from drawbacks such as, for example, the need to be able to arrange a plurality of shoe covers as the dimensions of the user's shoes vary. In fact, although the elastic allows a minimum amount of variability, the same shoe cover cannot be worn by two users that have a very different shoe size.
An apparatus is also known that minimises the risk of a user introducing dirt or external contaminants present on the soles of the shoes in an environment where careful attention must be paid to hygiene. This apparatus comprises a footboard on which a sheet of heat-shrink plastic material can be positioned. When the user rests their foot on the footboard a jet of air comes out of a plurality of nozzles so that the sheet surrounds the user's shoe. However, this application does not provide any accident prevention protection.
In this context, the technical task underpinning the present invention is to provide an accident prevention shoe cover and a method for making it, which can be put on quickly, has maximum adaptability to the different sizes of human feet and that has a low cost.
The technical task set and the objects specified are substantially attained by a shoe cover and a method for making it, comprising the technical characteristics as set out in one or more of the accompanying claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will more fully emerge from the non-limiting description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a shoe cover and a method for making it, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show components of the kit according to the present invention;
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a succession of steps of the method according to the present invention.

In the appended figures, reference number 1 indicates a kit for making an accident prevention shoe cover.
This kit 1 comprises:

a first reinforcement tip 2 that identifies a concavity 20 intended to house the toe of a user's foot (see Figure 2);
a disposable heat-shrink plastic film 3 intended to define or contribute to defining a wrapping 32 which houses the first tip 2 and the foot of the user (see Figure 1).

The first tip 2 exerts an crush prevention action. In particular it is made of rigid material. In this way it performs a crush prevention action. For example, the first tip 2 could be made of metal or rigid plastic material. The plastic film 3 is part of a first sheet 30. The first sheet 30 in turn comprises a non-slip sole 31 intended to come into contact with the floor. The non-slip sole 31 is typically made of rubber. Advantageously, the thickness of said sole 31 is comprised between 0.5 millimetres and 3 millimetres. The non-slip sole 31 adheres to a central portion of the film 3. When the first sheet 30 is completely spread out the film 3 projects from said sole 31 developing around the entire perimeter of the sole 31.
The subject matter of the present invention is further a method for making an accident prevention shoe cover using the kit having one or more of the previously described technical characteristics.
The method appropriately comprises the steps of:

applying the first tip 2 to a first foot of a user (this step implies the toe of the first foot being inserted in the first tip 2; the first foot during this step is normally already wearing footwear);
resting said first foot on the heat-shrink film 3;
heating the film 3 which determines the film to shrink by heat around the first foot and the first tip 2.

Advantageously the step of heating the film comprises the step of hitting the film 3 with a heated jet of fluid which determines the heating of the heat-shrink film 3 and the film 3 to shrink by heat around the first tip 2 and the first foot. Preferably the step of heating the film 3 is launched by the detection, through a sensor, of the positioning of the first foot above the film 3. This sensor could be a pressure sensor that detects when the first foot is rested on a predetermined area of the footboard that supports the film 3. In an alternative embodiment the sensor could be a presence sensor (for example with infrared rays) that detects the positioning of the first foot in a predetermined area that surpasses the film 3.
Preferably, but not necessarily, the step of applying the first tip 2 takes place before the step of resting the first foot on the film 3. In this case the step of resting said first foot on the film 3 envisages also resting the first tip 2 on the film 3.
The step of hitting the film 3 by a jet of fluid envisages directing the jet of fluid upwards. This facilitates the lifting of perimetric edges of the film 3; in this way the subsequent shrinking of the film 3 around the first foot is facilitated. The film 3 is preferably part of a first sheet 30 and before the lifting of the perimetric edges the first sheet 30 usually lies in a horizontal position.
In an alternative embodiment it is the pressure of the first foot on the film 3 that determines the lifting of the perimetric edges of the sheet 30 with respect to a central portion of the sheet 30. On this point the film 3 is advantageously placed on a deformable support surface following the pressure of the foot.
Preferably the first sheet 30 comprises a sole 31 applied to the film 3. The sole could be made of rubber. By way of non-limitative example, the sole could be vulcanised or applied by a spray.
The method comprises the step of turning a face of the first sheet 30, on which the sole 31 is afforded, downwards; this step of turning the face of the first sheet 30, on which the sole 31 is afforded, downwards takes place before resting said first foot on the first sheet 30.
The heat shrinking of the film 3 around the foot ensures that the film 3 overlaps at least with the first tip 2, the heel of the first foot and two side flanks of the first foot.
The step of resting the first foot on said film 3 envisages resting the first foot on the film 3 supported by a footboard 6. The step of hitting the film 3 by a jet of fluid envisages dispensing the fluid through nozzles integrated in the footboard 6.
The step of applying the first tip 2 envisages inserting the foot in said first tip 2 when said first tip 2 is positioned in a support 7 placed in an accumulation zone of a plurality of tips. As can be deduced from Figures 3 and 4 when the first tip 2 is inside the support 7 it is higher up with respect to the footboard 6 and the concavity 20 of said first tip 2 is turned towards a volume that surpasses the footboard 6. In the preferred embodiment, in the accumulation zone 70 the tips are placed alongside each other.
After use the film of the shoe cover is disposed of. The first tip 2 could also be disposed of hence making the shoe cover completely disposable. In an alternative embodiment the first tip 2 could be reused.
The invention as it is conceived enables multiple advantages to be attained.
It enables a cheap shoe cover to be made (entirely or partially disposable), but at the same time perfectly functional and adaptable to the dimensions of the user's foot.
Furthermore, the invention allows shoe covers to be made that are quickly applicable without forcing the user to sit down. This is very important considering that the use of the invention by visitors to warehouses or factories is certainly a privileged application. Hence, it is desirable to facilitate the putting on operation (also because with the traditional systems a visitor may often feel embarrassed during the clothing operations). Furthermore, such a solution does not put the visitor in the embarrassing situation of choosing a shoe cover suitable for their body (maybe realising that the shoe covers in their size have run out or are not even available).
The invention as conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the inventive concept characterised thereby. Furthermore all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements. In practice, all the materials used, as well as the dimensions, can be any according to requirements.

Claims

Kit for making an accident prevention shoe cover characterised in that it comprises:
- a first reinforcement tip (2) that identifies a concavity (20) intended to house the toe of the foot of a user;

- a disposable heat-shrink plastic film (3) intended to define or contribute to defining a wrapping (32) that houses at least partly the first tip (2) and the user's foot.
Kit according to claim 1, characterised in that the plastic film (3) is part of a first sheet (30) in turn comprising a slip-resistant sole (31) intended to come into contact with the ground.
Method for making an accident prevention shoe cover using the kit according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprises the steps of:
- applying the first tip (2) to a first foot of a user;

- resting said first foot on the disposal heat-shrink film (3);

- heating the film (3) causing the film to shrink by heat around the first foot and the first tip (2).
Method according to claim 3, characterised in that the step of heating the film (3) comprises the step of hitting the film (3) with a jet of heated fluid which causes the heating of the heat-shrink film (3) and the film (3) to shrink by heat around the first foot.
Method according to claim 4, characterised in that the step of hitting the film (3) with a jet of fluid envisages pointing the jet of fluid bottom-up so as to facilitate the lifting of the perimetric edges of the film (3).
Method according to claim 3 or 4 or 5, characterised in that the film (3) is part of a first sheet (30) comprising a slip-resistant sole (31) applied to the film (3), said method comprising the step of turning a face of the first sheet (30) on which the sole (31) is obtained downwards; said step of turning the face of the first sheet (30) on which the sole (31) is obtained downwards taking place before resting said first foot on the first sheet (30).
Method according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterised in that the heat shrinking of the film (3) around the foot causes the film (3) to overlap at least at the first tip (2), at the heel of the first foot and at the two side flanks of the first foot.
Method according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterised in that the step of resting said first foot on said film (3) envisages resting the first foot on the film (3) supported by a footboard (6), the compliance of the film (3) and of the footboard (6) in the zones subjected to the pressure of the first foot causing or contributing to causing the lifting of perimetric edges of the film (3).
Method according to claim 8, characterised in that the step of applying the first tip (2) envisages inserting the foot in said first tip (2) when said first tip (2) is positioned in a support (7) placed in an accumulation zone (70) of a plurality of tips, said first tip (2) inside the support (7) being positioned higher up with respect to the footboard (6) and the concavity (20) of said first tip (2) facing a volume that surmounts the footboard (6); in said accumulation zone (70) the tips being arranged alongside each other.
Method according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterised in that the step of heating the film (3) is activated by the detection through a sensor of the positioning of the first foot above the film (3).