US20090119946A1

US20090119946A1 - Boot Cover

Info

Publication number: US20090119946A1
Application number: US11/939,688
Authority: US
Inventors: Lori T. Baker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-11-14
Filing date: 2007-11-14
Publication date: 2009-05-14

Abstract

A boot cover for covering a boot. There is: a rectangular leg member, having a first zipper portion and a second zipper portion, wherein the rectangular leg member is removably coupled to a leg portion of a boot by zipping the first zipper portion to the second zipper portion; and a conical foot member, having a conical circumference, wherein a portion of the conical circumference is coupled to a portion of the rectangular leg member, creating a heel hole thereby. The conical foot member is removably coupled to a foot portion of a boot by insertion of the foot portion of the boot. There is a locking mechanism to lock the zipper portions. The locking mechanism comprises a clasp.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to covering shoes, specifically to decorative covers for boots.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of footwear, wearers differ in individual tastes, sizes, and financial resources. Purchasing many different shoes or boots, to match different outfits, can be expensive and/or burdensome. Therefore, there exists a need for wearers to have the ability to customize their footwear to their individual needs.
In the related art, it has been known to use footwear covers for changing the appearance of footwear. However, there is a need for boot covers which are: ornate, easily attached, flexible, adjustable, inexpensive, easily stored, and/or secure. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples include but are not limited to the references described below, which references are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,564, issued to Kettner, discloses a show having a removable cover for the upper is disclosed. The cover is removably secured to the unfinished shoe upper by hook and loop fastener strips on the lower parts of the cover and shoe upper adjacent to the line where the upper joins the sole of the shoe. The lower edges of the cover are concealed by a vertical strip about the periphery of the sole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,022, issued to Cohn, discloses a decorative boot having interchangeable tubular decorative components adapted to lie substantially smoothly on the outer surface of the boot between the top of the boot and the ankle portion so as to leave the heel and toe portions uncovered.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,759, issued to Mascotte, discloses a shoe covering member comprises a covering member having a shape conforming to an upper section of a shoe over which it is to cover. A bottom section of the covering member is sealingly engaged with a sole of the shoe and the covering member is provided with a fold at its rear end which is fastened in a folded condition to snugly engage the upper section of the shoe.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2002/0066208, by Hall, discloses a cover for an athletic shoe includes an elastic fabric upper member sized to snugly conformally fit over an athletic shoe covering at least the mid-foot region of a shoe upper portion and extending above and encircling the wearer's ankle. An elastic lower member extends under at least a portion of the shoe sole spanning the inboard and outboard side panels of the upper member without covering the gripping surfaces of the shoe sole. A zipper is provided in the fabric upper member to form an openable seam enabling the wearer to remove the athletic shoe and attach the cover on the wearer's foot without removing the cover from the shoe.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2003/0177664, by Monassebian, discloses the present invention relates to ladies accessories. More particularly it relates to footwear and handbags having interchangeable portions. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved securing method adapted to various interchangeable portions, so that the appearance of footwear and handbags may be changed quickly and easily by replacing only the interchangeable portion of said footwear and handbags.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D287,063, issued to Kohno, discloses the ornamental design for a side panel for a shoe.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include: not being ornate, not being easy to attach, not being flexible, not being adjustable, being expensive, being difficult to store, and/or not being secure
What is needed is a boot cover that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available boot covers. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a boot cover for covering boots.
In one embodiment, there is a boot cover for covering a boot, including: a rectangular leg member, removably coupleable to a leg portion of a boot, and/or having: a first zipper portion, substantially along a first edge of the rectangular leg member; and/or a second zipper portion, substantially along a second edge of the rectangular leg member opposite the first edge of the rectangular leg member, wherein the rectangular leg member may be removably coupled to a leg portion of a boot by zipping the first zipper portion to the second zipper portion; and/or a conical foot member, coupled to the rectangular leg member, removably coupleable to a foot portion of a boot, and/or having: a conical circumference, wherein a portion of the conical circumference may be coupled to a portion of a third edge of the rectangular leg member, creating a heel hole thereby.
In another embodiment, the conical foot member may be removably coupled to a foot portion of a boot by insertion of the foot portion of the boot into the conical foot member. In yet another embodiment, the boot cover includes: a locking mechanism, coupled near the first edge of the rectangular leg member near a first top of the first zipper portion, coupled near the second edge of the rectangular leg member near a second top of the second zipper portion, and/or configured to lock the first zipper portion and/or the second zipper portion. In still another embodiment, the locking mechanism may be a clasp.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a boot cover, according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, different embodiments, or component parts of the same or different illustrated invention. Additionally, reference to the wording “an embodiment,” or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are related, dissimilar, the same, etc. The use of the term “an embodiment,” or similar wording, is merely a convenient phrase to indicate optional features, which may or may not be part of the invention as claimed.
Each statement of an embodiment is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as “another embodiment,” the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language “another embodiment.” The independent embodiments are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.
Finally, the fact that the wording “an embodiment,” or the like, does not appear at the beginning of every sentence in the specification, such as is the practice of some practitioners, is merely a convenience for the reader's clarity. However, it is the intention of this application to incorporate by reference the phrasing “an embodiment,” and the like, at the beginning of every sentence herein where logically possible and appropriate.
As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.”
Looking to the Figures, there is a boot cover 100 for covering a boot 105. The boot cover 100 has a rectangular leg member 102 and a conical foot member 112. The rectangular leg member 102 has a first edge 106, a second edge 110, and a third edge 116. Coupled to the first edge 106 and the second edge 110 are a first zipper portion 104 and a second zipper portion 108, respectively. Also illustrated is a locking mechanism 120 near a first top 122 of the first zipper portion 104, and near a second top 124 of the second zipper portion 108. The locking mechanism 120 may be any known in the art, such as a clasp, for example. In other embodiments, the cover may include a slit 103 in the boot cover 100, thereby exposing a heel of the boot to enhance or alter the aesthetic design and appearance of the boot 105.
In operation, the rectangular leg member 102 is removably coupled to a leg portion (not shown) of a boot (not shown) by zipping the first zipper portion 104 to the second zipper portion 108. Additionally, zipping of the first zipper portion 104 and the second zipper portion 108 may be locked into place by the locking mechanism 120.
Also, according to the Figures, the conical foot member 112 has a conical circumference 114. As shown, a portion of the conical foot member 112 is coupled to a portion of the third edge 116, creating a heel hole 118 thereby. In operation, the conical foot member 112 is removably coupled to a foot portion (not shown) of a boot by insertion of the foot portion of the boot into the conical foot member 114. Accordingly, the conical foot member 114 wraps around the entire foot portion, including a sole (not shown) of the foot portion. A heel portion 105 of a boot may also be inserted through the heel hole 118, thereby exposing a heel 103 of the boot to enhance or alter the aesthetic design and appearance of the boot.
In operation, a wearer selects a boot cover 100 for covering a boot. A wearer inserts a foot portion of the boot into a conical foot member 112 of the boot cover 100, so that the conical foot member 112 wraps around a sole of the foot portion. Additionally, a wearer may insert a heel portion of the boot through a heel hole 118. Then, a wearer wraps a rectangular leg member 102 of the boot cover 100 around a leg portion of the boot, and zips a first zipper portion 104 to a second zipper portion 108. Finally, the wearer may secure the zipped first zipper portion 104, and second zipper portion, by locking with a clasp 120.
It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
For example, although the boot cover 100 is for covering a boot, the boot cover 100 may also be for covering any footwear known in the art, such as, but not limited to: sneakers, slippers, skates, pumps, sandals, and flip-flops.
Additionally, although the Figures illustrate a conical foot member 112 with a pointed end opposite the conical circumference 114, the end of the conical foot member 112 may have any shape known in the art, such as round, or square, for example.
Also, although the Figures show that the first edge 106 and the second edge 110 of the rectangular leg member 102 couple by zipping 104, 108, the first edge and the second edge 110 may couple by any coupling mechanism known in the art. Some non-limiting examples of coupling mechanisms include: clasps, ties, adhesives, snaps, and hook and loop.
It is also envisioned that the boot cover 100 could be flexible, and/or elastic, for adjustably covering a variety of different boots, and/or for storage of the boot covers 100.
It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. An example is that the rectangular leg member 102 could have any height to accommodate a variety of tastes. For example, the rectangular leg member could be ankle-high, calf-high, or knee-high.
Another example is that the boot cover 100 could be colored. Some non-limiting examples of colors include: red, brown, and/or black.
Furthermore, the heel hole 118 could be of any shape or size to accommodate a heel portion of a boot. For example the heel hole 118 could be square, round, oblong, chevron, rectangular, or trapezoidal. The heel hole 118 could also have a diameter of one, two, or three inches, for example.
Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may be constructed of a variety of materials, such as, but not limited to: leather, vinyl, plastic, rubber, metal, cotton, nylon, and/or polyester.
Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A boot cover for covering a boot, comprising:

a) a rectangular leg member, removably coupleable to a leg portion of a boot, and having:

a1) a first zipper portion, substantially along a first edge of the rectangular leg member; and

a2) a second zipper portion, substantially along a second edge of the rectangular leg member opposite the first edge of the rectangular leg member, wherein the rectangular leg member is removably coupled to a leg portion of a boot by zipping the first zipper portion to the second zipper portion; and

b) a conical foot member, coupled to the rectangular leg member, removably coupleable to a foot portion of a boot, and having:

b1) a conical circumference, wherein a portion of the conical circumference is coupled to a portion of a third edge of the rectangular leg member, creating a heel hole thereby.

2. The boot cover of claim 1, wherein the conical foot member is removably coupled to a foot portion of a boot by insertion of the foot portion of the boot into the conical foot member.

3. The boot cover of claim 2, further comprising:

a) a locking mechanism, coupled near the first edge of the rectangular leg member near a first top of the first zipper portion, coupled near the second edge of the rectangular leg member near second a top of the second zipper portion, and configured to lock the first zipper portion and the second zipper portion.

4. The boot cover of claim 3, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a clasp.

5. A boot cover for covering a boot, consisting essentially of:

6. The boot cover of claim 5, wherein the conical foot member is removably coupled to a foot portion of a boot by insertion of the foot portion of the boot into the conical foot member.

7. The boot cover of claim 6, wherein the first zipper portion and the second zipper portion comprise a locking mechanism.

8. The boot cover of claim 7, wherein the locking mechanism is a clasp.