US3324580A

US3324580A - Foot covering

Info

Publication number: US3324580A
Application number: US470150A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas R Baxter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-07-07
Filing date: 1965-07-07
Publication date: 1967-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 1984-06-13

Description

T R BAXTER FOOT COVERING Flled July 7 1965 June H, l

3,3215% Patented June 13, 1967 3,324,580 FOOT COVERING Thomas R. Baxter, Box 790, Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050 Filed July 7, 1965, Ser. No. 470,150 7 (Claims. (Cl. 368.1)

This invention relates to protective devices and is more particularly concerned with improvements in a foot cover which is particularly adapted to be used by a patient with a foot dressing.

Various devices have been suggested for use by patients having foot dressings which are designed to protect the dressing and to prevent it from becoming wet while the patient is exposed to falling water, for example, while taking a shower bath. Boots of various materials have been provided with elastic tops, button-over flaps, tie strings, rubber bands or other fastening means but none of these have proven satisfactory in use primarily because they do not shed the water in a satisfactory manner or they unduly restrict circulation. The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a boot for this purpose which will not leak when applied over foot dressing but will shed the water when the patient takes a shower bath, which does not appreciably restrict circulation, which is easily applied to the foot and which may be made of inexpensive materials so that it may be discarded after a single use.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a device for covering the foot of a patient having a surgical dressing thereon so as to prevent the dressing from becoming wet during a shower bath, or the like, wherein a boot is formed of flexible sheet material with a body member and a separate cuff member, the body member having an ankle encasing portion with an opening for receiving the foot, which opening is of sufficient size so that the marginal portions of the body member may be gathered about the angle and secured by a pair of integrally connected tie strips and the cuff member being characterized by an elongate strip of the sheet material with a band of adhesive of substantial width extending along the marginal edge thereof which will adhere the strip to the leg and to the gathered marginal portions of the body member when wrapped about the leg thereby to form a seal around the opening to the body member and to extend down over the top portion of the body member.

It is a still more specific object of the invention to provide a device for covering and protecting the foot of a patient having a surgical dressing or the like thereon so as to prevent the dressing from becoming soiled when the patient takes a shower bath wherein the device is in the form of a boot which is fabricated from a flexible plastic sheet material, such as, polyethylene film, with an ankle encasing portion and an opening large enough to receive the foot and a co-operating cuff forming member initially in the form of an elongate strip of polyethylene or similar plastic film which will shed water and which has a pressure sensitive adhesive along one margin thereof so that it may be wrapped about the margin of the ankle encasing portion to seal the opening against the entrance of water into the boot.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the foot covering device and the method of using the same which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded plan view showing the protective body and cuff members in the flattened condition in which the assembly is supplied to the user;

FIGURE 2 is a view illustrating the application of the device to the foot of the user;

FIGURE 3 is a view showing the device applied to the foot of a patient so as to cover a foot dressing; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2 illustrating a modified form of the device.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is illustrated a two-piece protective device which is particularly adapted for use as a cover on the foot of a patient having a surgical dressing. As illustrated, the device comprises a body of boot forming member 10 and a cuff member or assembly 11. The boot 10 is fabricated of two sheets of flexible material, preferably a plastic film, for example, polyethylene which is relatively thin and flexible and which is waterproof. The sheets are cut to the form shown in FIGURE 1 and connected by a suitable seal extending about the edges, as indicated at 12, except for the topmost edge which is left open. The film is cut and connected so as to form a boot enclosing section 14 and an ankle enclosing portion 15. Additionally, two tie strips or

bands

16 and 17 are taken from the upper margins of the two sheets by cutting partially across the same on the line 18 leaving the

bands

16 and 17 integrally connected with the body along the line 19 and the edge line 20. The

bands

16 and 17 are cut at 21 so as to free the same at the opposite ends and permit the two strips to be folded back over the adjoining margins of the ankle portion 15 while remaining attached thereto along the line 19.

The cuff member or assembly 11 comprises a rectangular sheet 23 of plastic film which may be the same material as the body, for example, polyethylene film, which sheet has substantial width and a length sufficient to wrap about the ankle so that the ends will overlap substantially. A band of pressure sensitive adhesive 24 is provided along the one margin which is of substantial width and which has a peelable cover element or strip 25 laid over the area initially so that the edges of the cover strip extend somewhat beyond the edges of the adhesive area and provide a marginal portion which may be grasped to strip off the cover element 25 when the cuff is prepared for application to the leg.

In using the device, the boot member 10 is opened up by spreading the margins at the mouth of the ankle portion 15 and the foot of the user is inserted. The boot is drawn over the foot and the dressing thereon and the ankle portion 15 is gathered around the ankle to permit the

tie strips

16 and 17 to be drawn snug and tied in a conventional manner. The cuff assembly 11 is then applied, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, the adhesive cover strip 25 being stripped off and the cuff wrapped about the ankle with the adhesive surface 24 laid against the ankle and preferably extending both above and below the topmost edge of the ankle portion 15 so that when wrapped about the ankle the adhesive strip 24 encompasses the top margins of the ankle portion 15 and extends above the same so as to adhere to the leg surface thereby forming a waterproof seal with the non-adhesive portion of the cuff draped down over the ankle and forming a hood for shedding any water which runs down from the leg of the user or falls from the shower or the like.

A modified form of cufl assembly 11 is illustrated in FIGURE 4. In this form of the device, the adhesive coating 24' is extended to cover the inner surface of the cuff sheet 23 and the cuff assembly 11 may be applied so that it adheres to the top marginal portion of the boot 10 and to a portion of the leg above the top edge 18 of the boot 10 when it is wrapped around the same, thereby to cover and seal the opening into the boot.

While particular materials and a specific structural arrangement are referred to in describing the form of the device illustrated, it will be understood that other suitable materials and equivalent structural arrangements may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A foot covering of flexible sheet material comprising a member in the form of a boot having an ankle conforming portion with an opening of sufficient size for receiving the foot and for gathering the material snugly around the ankle, a pair of integrally connected tie bands at the margin of the ankle conforming portion which are adapted to be tied to hold the ankle conforming portion snugly against the ankle, and a cuff member of generally rectangular shape with sufficient length and width to encompass the margin of the ankle conforming portion and the tie bands when wrapped about the ankle after the boot member is supplied thereto, said cuff member having a section along the top margin with a pressure sensitive adhesive which will adhere to the ankle and to the adjoining marginal portion of the boot member so as to seal the opening into the boot member.

2. A foot covering comprising a boot-like body member of flexible liquid-proof plastic film material having an ankle conforming portion with an opening of suflicient size for receiving the foot and for gathering the film material around the ankle, a pair of tie bands secured to the ankle conforming portion which are adapted to be tied about the ankle to hold the material snugly against the same, and a cuff comprising a rectangular strip of plastic sheet material of substantial length and width, said cuff having a band of pressure-sensitive adhesive which will adhere to the leg and to the strip material so as to cover the opening to the body member and also overlie adjoining marginal portions thereof when wrapped about the leg with the non-adhesive area extending down over the top of the body member so as to shed liquid and prevent the entrance of the same into the body member.

3. A covering device for the foot comprising a body member of relatively thin, flexible, plastic sheet material in the form of a boot with an ankle conforming portion and an opening of suificient size for receiving the foot and for gathering the material around the ankle, a pair of tie forming band members attached to the body member at the ankle conforming portion which are adapted to be tied so as to hold the material snugly against the ankle, and a cuff member in the form of a rectangular strip of relatively thin, flexible, plastic film material of suflicient length and width to cover the upper margin of the ankle conforming portion and extend above the same when said cuff forming member is Wrapped about the ankle, and said cuff forming member having a pressuresensitive adhesive on a marginal portion which will adhere to the ankle immediately above the margin of the ankle conforming portion and drape down over the latter so as to close the opening into the body member and prevent the entry of liquid.

4. A covering device for the foot of a patient with a foot dressing comprising a body member of relatively thin, flexible, plastic sheet material in the form of a boot with an ankle conforming portion and an opening thereto of sufiicient size for receiving the foot and for folding the margin about the ankle, a pair of tie forming band members connected at one end to the body member at the ankle conforming portion by an integral web portion which members are adapted to be folded over the margin and tied around the ankle so as to hold the material snugly against the ankle, and a cuff forming member comprising a rectangular strip of relatively thin, flexible,

plastic film material of a length and width sufiicient to extend around the ankle and cover the upper margin of the ankle confonming portion, and said cuff forming member having a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon which will adhere to the ankle immediately above the margin of the ankle conforming portion and allow the 4 lower portion of said cuff member to drape down over the ankle conforming portion so as to close the opening into the body member and prevent the entry of liquid.

5. A covering device for the foot of a patient with a foot dressing comprising a body member of relatively thin, flexible, waterproof, plastic film material in the form of a boot with an ankle conforming portion and an opening of sufficient size for receiving the foot and for gathering the marginal portions around the ankle, a pair of tie forming band members integrally attached to the body member at the ankle conforming portion which are adapted to be tied so as to hold said marginal portions snugly against the ankle, and a cuff member in the form of a rectangular strip of relatively thin, flexible, Waterproof, plastic film of suflicient length and width to cover the upper margin of the ankle conforming portion and extend above the same when said cuff member is wrapped about the ankle, and said cuff member having a band of pressure sensitive adhesive of substantial width on a marginal portion which will adhere to the ankle immediately above the margin of the ankle conforming portion and extend down over the latter so as to cover the opening into the body member and prevent the entry of liquid.

6. A covering device for the foot of a patient with a foot dressing comprising a body member of relatively thin, flexible, waterproof, sheet material in the form of a boot with an ankle conforming portion and an opening thereto or suflicient size for receiving the foot and for folding the margin about the ankle, a pair of tie forming band members connected at one end to the body member at the ankle conforming portion which tie members are adapted to be wrapped about said margin and tied so as to hold the marginal material snugly against the ankle, and a cuff forming member comprising a rectangular strip of relatively thin, flexible, waterproof material of a length and width suflicient to extend around the ankle and cover the upper margin of the ankle conforming portion, and said cuff forming member having an adhesive material which will adhere to the ankle immediately above the margin of the ankle conforming portion and allow the lower portion of said cuff member to extend down over the ankle conforming portion so as to seal the opening into the body member and prevent the entry of liquid.

7. A foot covering of flexible sheet material comprising a member in the form of -a boot having an ankle conforming portion with an opening of sufficient size for receiving the foot and for gathering the material snugly around the ankle, a pair of integrally connected tie bands at the margin of the ankle conforming portion which are adapted to be tied to hold the ankle conforming portion snugly against the ankle, and a cuff member of generally rectangular shape with sufficient length and width to encompass the margin of the ankle conforming portion and the bands when wrapped about the ankle after the boot member is applied thereto, said cuff member having a pressure sensitive adhesive on its inner surface which will adhere to the ankle and to the adjoining marginal portion of the boot member so as to seal the opening into the boot member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,582,648 1/1952 Mowbray 36-8 2,924,029 2/1960 Rosen 36-7 2,986,823 6/1961 Kos 367 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,324 ,580 June 13, 1967 Thomas R. Baxter It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, line 37, for "angle" read ankle column 2, line 9, for "of" read or column 4, line 29, for "or" read of line 56 for "bands" read tie bands Signed and sealed this 18th day of June 1968.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer

Claims

1. A FOOT COVERING OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING A MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A BOOT HAVING AN ANKLE CONFORMING PORTION WITH AN OPENING OF SUFFICIENT SIZE FOR RECEIVING THE FOOT AND FOR GATHERING THE MATERIAL SNUGLY AROUND THE ANKLE, A PAIR OF INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TIE BANDS AT THE MARGIN OF THE ANKLE CONFORMING PORTION WHICH ARE ADAPTED TO BE TIED TO HOLD THE ANKLE CONFORMING PORTION SNUGLY AGAINST THE ANKLE, AND A CUFF MEMBER OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE WITH SUFFICIENT LENGTH OF WIDTH TO ENCOMPASS THE MARGIN OF THE ANKLE CONFORMING PORTION AND THE TIE BANDS WHEN WRAPPED ABOUT THE ANKLE AFTER THE BOOT MEMBER IS SUPPLIED THERETO, SAID CUFF MEMBER HAVING A SECTION ALONG THE TOP MARGIN WITH A PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE WHICH WILL ADHERE TO THE ANKLE AND TO THE ADJOINING MARGINAL PORTION OF THE BOOT MEMBER SO AS TO SEAL THE OPENING INTO THE BOOT MEMBER.