GB2204777A - Protective covers for ladies shoe heels - Google Patents

Abstract

A protective plastics cover for a shoe heel, particularly a ladies' fashion heel, is formed from a cut sheet into the conical form shown and then heat shrunk onto the heel. The pre-shaped cover thus conforms correctly to the heel and does not split on shrinking. <IMAGE>

Description

Protective covers for Ladles Shoe Heels This Invention relates to the manufacture of shaped protective covers for the heels of ladies shoes.

Ladies shoes are particularly prone to damage due to slipping down cracks or gaps in pavements. High heels of the so called stilleto type, and those with a leather covering have the worst the damage potential.

The scratches or cuts caused by the impact of the heel with the edge of the crack in the pavement can be effectively prevented, or at least largely minimised, by covering the heel with a tough plastic cover.

Plastic heatshrink tubing has been used on and off for several years with very limited success. The method Involves the fitting of a tube over the heel and by application of a hot blast of air the tube shrinks down to form a tight fit over the heel. The main reason for the failure of this type of tubular sleeve Is the fact that the tubing, when shrunk onto a tapering surface such as the shoe heel, will cause uneven shrinkage. This leads to splitting at the top of the sleeve (fig.1.3) and underfitting at the bottom (fig.1.2).The stralght sleeve will work quite well with heels having a nearly parallel shape either the thicker type (fig.1.1 ) or the sharpe stilleto (fig.1 .4) This invention and the items thus produced claim to overcome two basic problems; to shape the cover to more nearly match the heel, and to do it in such a way that the covers can be produced economically.

The covers proposed by this invention are of a conical shape that ensure that heatshrinking will be almost uniform over the length of the cover.

The conventional method of manufacturing special shapes in heatshrinkable plastic is not appropriate for an Item required at a very low price. This is because of the high cost of tooling and of post moulding processes. This Invention clalms to keep the cost of production low by eliminating some of the processes required by the alternative methods.

The claim is that the production of conical, or other compound shapes, by cutting the developed shape out of suitable flat sheets of material is an original approach to the problem. The material will normally be of high clarity to enable the shoe colour to show through perfectly, although coloured materials can be used.

An automatic machine has been developed to enabie the shape to be picked up automatically and placed on a mandrel to be seamed along two of it's edges to form the cone, or other shape. This Is Illustrated in the diagram (fig.2).

In this machine, given suitable shapes and mandrels, covers for almost any type of heel, or any similar article, can be produced.

The machine and the process are novel in that it will allow flat shapes to enter, one at the time, Into one end and to emerge at the other end having been sealed down two edges to form the compound shape required.

The method can cover any system of sealing including Ultrasonic, Laser and other forms of welding, as well as all types of adhesive application and clamping.

Claims (1)

1/ The Invention, the method and the process, claim to be a way of producing shaped protective covers for the heels of ladies shoes, or any other similar application where a compound shape is required, in an economic way.

2/ The Invention claims to protect the heels of ladies shoes by allowing a tough plastic cover to be fitted In a very simple way namely, by a "conical" heatshrlnk cover which is far more satisfactory than the tube used hitherto.