Abstract:
A bootie application device that provides booties that slide along a rail system on tabs that releasably connect the booties to the rail system. A tensioning apparatus connects the rail system to the bootie application device. When an increased tension is applied to the rail system, the tensioning apparatus permits the rail system to move away from the application device by the expansion of the tensioning apparatus. When the increased tension is removed from the rail system, the rail system is drawn back toward the application device by the contraction of the tensioning apparatus.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to the field of shoe covers. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for dispensing shoe covers over a shoe on a foot without the wearer handling the shoe cover. 
     Many industries require their workers to wear protective clothing, either for the benefit of the environment in which the workers operate, or for the benefit of the workers themselves. For example, maintaining the cleanliness of the environment is important in industries such as pharmaceuticals, microelectronics, and food processing. On the other hand, there are a number of industries that produce dust, mist, spray, debris, and other hazardous materials, in which protective clothing is used to keep the workers clean or safe. 
     One item of protective clothing that is often used is shoe covers—so-called booties—that fit over a worker&#39;s feet, and either reduce the impurities that a worker brings into the controlled environment on his feet, or alternately, protect the worker&#39;s feet from the working environment. 
     Unfortunately, it can be very time-consuming to put on a pair of booties. Traditionally the process has been for the worker to take a couple booties out of a bin of such, walk over to a bench to sit down, and then—using both hands—place one bootie over each shoe. Not only is this a time-consuming process, but it requires the installation of benches (at accompanying cost and space), and also requires the workers to put down anything that they might be carrying in their hands. 
     Because of the time involved to implement this procedure, some workers attempt to put their booties on without sitting down. Unfortunately, the required process of standing on one leg while putting a bootie on the other foot tends to make the worker unstable, resulting in accidents, damage to property, and injury to self and others. 
     Further, because of the inadequacies of both of the options described above, some workers will, at times, not put on the booties at all, which tends to degrade the environment, put the worker at enhanced risk, or both. 
     Semi-automated devices have been developed to assist workers in putting on booties, such as those devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,775,396 and 8,490,842, and published application 20130270288, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, these devices tend to introduce new issues of their own. 
     SUMMARY 
     The above and other needs are met by a bootie application device that provides booties that slide along a rail system on tabs that releasably connect the booties to the rail system. A tensioning apparatus connects the rail system to the bootie application device. When an increased tension is applied to the rail system, the tensioning apparatus permits the rail system to move away from the application device by the expansion of the tensioning apparatus. When the increased tension is removed from the rail system, the rail system is drawn back toward the application device by the contraction of the tensioning apparatus. 
     In various embodiments according to this aspect of the invention, the rail system is a dual rail system. In some embodiments the tensioning apparatus comprises at least one of leaf springs, coil springs, and thermoplastic members. In some embodiments the tensioning apparatus includes a manually-adjustable portion. In some embodiments the tensioning apparatus includes a support bar that is selectively connected to the application device at one end, and slideably connected by a screw and a spring to the rail system at another end. 
     According to another aspect of the invention there is described a bootie application device of the type that provides booties that slide along a rail system on tabs that releasable connect the booties to the rail system. A tensioning apparatus connects the rail system to the bootie application device. The tensioning apparatus permits the rail system to move toward the application device by the contraction of the tensioning apparatus when an increased pressure is applied to the rail system, and draws the rail system back from the application device by the expansion of the tensioning apparatus when the increased pressure is removed from the rail system. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages of the invention are apparent by reference to the detailed description when considered in conjunction with the figures, which are not to scale so as to more clearly show the details, wherein like reference numbers indicate like elements throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a perspective view of a bootie delivery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a first view of a track system for a bootie delivery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a second view of a track system for a bootie delivery system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     With reference now to the figures, there is depicted a shoe cover device  100 , for both providing a store of booties  102 , and facilitating the application of booties  102  to shoes, without the wearer having to handle the booties  102 , or sit down. Thus, the shoe cover device  100  facilitates a faster, less invasive application of booties  102 , and reduces the amount of space required in an ante room where booties  102  are to be applied. 
     In some embodiments the device  100  provides a store of booties  102  on an upper portion  112  of a rail system  104 . The rail system  104  also delivers, opens, and stages the booties  102  for application at a lower portion  108  of the rail system  104 . The booties  102  are releasable attached to the rail system  104 . 
     In one embodiment, the rail system  104  includes a set of two rails  104   a  and  104   b  on one side of the device  100 , and another set of two rails  104   c  and  104   d  on the other side of the device  100 . Four tabs  106  are disposed around an elasticized opening of the bootie  102 . Two of these four tabs  106  fit between the two rails  104   a  and  104   b  on one side of the device  100 , and the other two of the four tabs  106  fit between the two rails  104   c  and  104   d  on the other side of the device  100 . 
     In one embodiment, the two rails  104  of a given pair a/b or c/d of rails  104  are spaced apart such that a relatively thinner part of the tab  106  can slide easily between the rail pair  104  a/b or c/d, but a fatter part of the tab  106 , disposed at a distal end of the tab  106 , cannot pass easily through the gap between the rail pair  104  a/b or c/d, and thus the bootie  102  is retained by each tab  106  to the rail pair  104  a/b or c/d. In this manner, the spacing between the sets a/b or c/d of rails  104  on either side of the device  100  stretches the bootie  102  along its width. 
     As the bootie  102  slides down the rail system  104  to the lower portion  108  of the rail system  104 , also referred to as the application zone  108 , the two tabs  106  on a given side of the device  100  are spread apart, thus stretching the bootie  102  along its length. Thus, in the application zone  108 , the bootie  102  is opened up and configured to receive the shoe of the wearer. 
     The wearer places his shoe inside of the stretched-open bootie  102 , and slides his foot backward out of the device  100 . This motion either breaks the tabs  106  free from the rail system  104  in some manner, or slides the tabs  106  off of the end of the rail system  104 , either of which action results in the bootie  102  being released by the device  100 , and closing upon the shoe of the wearer. In some embodiments, this action also stretches the next bootie  102  open along its length, and pulls it into place in the application zone  108 . 
     It is appreciated that the above describes just one embodiment of a rail system  104 , and that other rails system  104  and tab  106  arrangements are also contemplated herein, such as single-rail rail system  104 , with tabs  106  that releasably snap onto and off of the rail system  104 . 
     Regardless of the specific configuration of the rail system  104  and the tabs  106 , the rail system  104  is held in place on the device  100  by supports  110 . The supports  110  hold the rail  104  pairs at an appropriate distance, one from another, so that the booties  102  are stretched at their width to an appropriate degree. 
     In some embodiments, the spacing between the rail sets  104  on either side of the device  100  is fairly critical, and thus, some way of adjusting the spacing is desirable. For example, if the spacing between the rails  104  in the upper portion  112  of the rail system  104  is not correct, then it can be very difficult to load the booties  102  into the device  100 , or the booties  102  can be damaged by tearing the tabs  106  prematurely. 
     In some embodiments, this spacing is adjusted by swapping in supports  110  of different lengths. In other embodiments, this spacing is adjusted by making the supports  110  adjustable in length, such as by adjusting the length of the support  110 , and then tightening it in place, such as with a wing nut. In this manner, the distance between the rail pairs  104  on either side of the device  100  can be adjusted. In yet another embodiment, the support  110  is somewhat self-adjusting, by connecting it at one end (either to the rail pair  104  or to the casing) by a tensioned fitting. 
     For example, and with particular reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the support  110  can be a system of elements that cooperate one with another to provide both a manual and a self-adjusting tension and distance between the rail  104  sets a/b on one side of the device  100  and the rail  104  sets e/d on the other side of the device  100 . It is appreciated that the support system  110  depicted on the left-hand side of  FIGS. 2 and 3  could also be present on the right-hand side of these figures, or that a different support system  110  could be employed on either side of the device  100 . 
     According to one embodiment, the support system  110  is connected on one end to a structural support  120 , such as a frame member of the device  100 . A support bar  122  is connected to the structural support  120 , such as by a wing-nut or wing-bolt  126  that is fitted through a slot  124  in the support bar  122 . Thus, by loosening the wing-bolt  126  and sliding the support bar  122  back and forth along the slot  124 , and then tightening the wing-bolt  126 , a manual method of adjusting the distance between the rails  104  a/b and rails  104  c/d is provided, which also manually adjusts the tension on the tabs  106  of the bootie  102 . 
     In one embodiment, the support bar  122  is connected to a spacer member  114 , which in turn is connected to one set of rails  104 , either a/b or c/d, as depicted. The spacer member  114  holds the rails  104  a/b (for example) at the proper distance one from another, so that the tab  106  is retained between the rails  104  a/c without undue binding, but also so that the tab  106  does not come free from the rail system  104  until forceably removed by the wearer as described above. 
     The support bar  122  in one embodiment is connected to the spacer member  114  by a system that is both manually and automatically adjustable as to the tension on the bootie  102  and the distance between rail  104  sets a/b and c/d. For example, in one embodiment a threaded screw  116  fits loosely but retainably through a retaining hole in the support bar  122 , and threads into the spacer member  114 . Thus, a manual adjustment is provided by how far the threaded screw  116  is screwed into the spacer member  114 . A lock nut or other means of retaining the threaded screw  116  at the desired position relative to the spacer member  114  is contemplated, but not depicted, so as to not unnecessarily encumber the drawings with elements that are relatively easily understood. 
     In some embodiments, one or more tensioning members  118  are provided between the support bar  122  and the spacer member  114 . In the embodiment as depicted, the tensioning members  118  are coil springs  118 , which are disposed around the threaded screw  116 , and which tend to hold the rails  104  and spacer member  114  at a given distance from the support bar  122 , but when a greater amount of tension is applied to the rails  104 , will allow the rails  104  to pull further away from the support bar  122  and the frame  120  of the device  100 , thus allowing easier movement of the bootie  102  without damaging the frangible tabs  106 . 
     In other embodiments the function of the tensioning members  118  is provided by a leaf spring, an elastic member, or some other apparatus for allowing a tensioned separation between the spacer member  114  and one or both of the support bar  122  and the frame  120 . 
     The foregoing description of embodiments for this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments are chosen and described in an effort to provide illustrations of the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.