Abstract:
Electrostatic footwear in the form of a cover with a sole and an upper having an opening to receive the foot or shoe of a user. The opening may be provided with elastic or an elastic cuff for retention about the user. The cover may be worn over the foot or the shoe of a user. The cover has an excess electrical charge to attract particulate matter including but not limited to dust, dirt, pollen, and dander. The electrostatic charge causes the particulate matter to be drawn and held thereon as the user moves about. The sole may include anti-skid material over a limited portion thereof to prevent the user from sliding or slipping.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is subject to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/745,603 filed 25 Apr. 2006. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to footwear and, more specifically, to a shoe/foot electrostatic-slipper covering that when worn by a user within a structure having a floor electrostatically attracts particles from the floor to the slipper(s) and therein reduce the amount of airborne particles that can irritate allergies. 
   Furthermore, the types of particles that would be attracted are not easily swept up and are more inclined to become airborne such as lint, pollen and dust. Therefore, the present invention provides means for reducing the amount of airborne particles on a structure&#39;s floor by simply wearing the foot covering of the present invention that will electrostatically bind floor particles thereto. 
   The invention is in the form of a cover for a shoe or a foot which, when worn indoors on a smooth floor surface, will clean the floor by attracting lint, dust, hair and small debris. 
   The invention is a shoe covering comprised of a body made of any material that is capable of being appropriately formed to surround a shoe or foot with preference to non-woven fabric. The sole of the shoe cover will be made of material with properties, which will enable it to pick up dust and other small debris. An example of such material would be an electrostatic charged fabric or microfiber. The shoe covering can be used indoors so that when the user walks into a house or building, will slip it on by inserting the foot into the elastic opening at the top of the shoe cover. Once the shoes or feet are covered by the shoe cover, the wearer can go about normal indoor activities and while walking around the house or building, the shoe cover acts as a floor cleaning instrument. This enables the user to keep the floor free of dust and small debris without having to take any extra time to do it. 
   The invention can be used indoors where cleanliness is desired with the purpose of keeping tile, wood, laminate and vinyl floors free of dust and small dirt debris without having to take any extra time to do it. The shoe covering could also be used for the dual purpose of keeping floors (including carpeted floors) from getting dirty from soiled shoes. The shoe covering is made of non-woven porous materials such as spunbound polypropylene or non-woven laminates, such as spunbound/meltblown/spunbound laminates. It includes an opening that enable the shoe cover to be slipped over the foot or shoes of the wearer. The opening can optionally include a stretchable or resilient material such as rubber or elastomer to maintain the shoe cover on the foot of the wearer. The bottom (sole) of the shoe cover is made of any material that is capable of attracting dust and small debris, but preferably, electrostatic charged fabric or microfiber. The sole also has a print or sprayed on traction adhesive, making the shoe covers slip resistant. 
   The invention is a shoe/foot cover comprising a body that configures to surround the shoe or foot of the wearer with a bottom portion of the body designed to contact the ground when the cover is worn. The shoe cover is made of non-woven porous material such as spunbond polypropylene or non-woven laminates, such as spunbond, meltblown or spunbond laminates. It includes an opening that enables the shoe cover to be slipped over the foot or shoes of the wearer. The opening can optionally include a stretchable or resilient material such as rubber or elastomer to maintain the shoe cover on the foot of the wearer. The bottom (sole) of the shoe cover is made of a material such as, electrostatic charged fabric or microfiber, with properties for attracting dust or small dirt particles. 
   Furthermore, the footwear has particular application in research and manufacturing facilities where cleanroom technology is used to control environmental contaminents, such as lint, dust, dirt and pollen. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   There are other cleaning devices worn over shoes. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,813 issued to Puskas on Jul. 8, 1997. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,644,813 
   Inventor: Paula Puskas 
   Issued: Jul. 8, 1997 
   A disposable overshoe mop (10) comprising a structure (12), for covering a shoe (14) or foot worn by a person (16), so as to protect the shoe (14) or foot from water and dirt. A component (18) is affixed to the bottom of the covering structure (12), for cleaning a floor (20). 
   While this type of device may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide means for cleaning a floor using an electrostatically charged article. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide footwear made of electrostatic cloth. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide footwear that can be worn with or without shoes. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide footwear that can be worn by a user with or without shoes comprised of a material having been imbued with a negative electric charge so that when the user dons the footwear and walks across a floor, particulate matter, dust, dirt, dander, pollen, etc will be electrostatically drawn to the footwear and held thereto by said electrostatic charge. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide footwear comprised of non-woven material, such as spunbound polypropylene, non-woven laminates, such as spunbound/meltblown/spunbound laminates and preferably a composition of polypropylene and 5%-25% polyimide. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide the footwear with an opening or aperture having an elastomeric member along the rim to retain placement of said footwear during use. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide footwear of electrostatic cloth having anti-slip agent applied to the bottom of said footwear. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide said footwear with anti-slip agents comprising structure applied to the bottom of the footwear in minimalistic fashion so as not to defeat the purpose of the electrostatic footwear. 
   Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
   The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing footwear made from electrostatic cloth providing means for collecting floor resident particulate matter to the footwear when worn by a user. 
   The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
   The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
     In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrated view of the present invention in use. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustrated view of the present invention in use on a smooth surface. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustrative detailed view of the present invention in use on a smooth surface. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. 
       FIG. 4A  is a sectional view of additional aspect of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of additional aspect of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of an additional aspect of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the present invention about to be used. 
       FIG. 7  is a side view of the present invention with wearer&#39;s shoe partially within. 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the present invention with wearer&#39;s shoe fully within the shoe cover. 
       FIG. 8A  is a side view of an additional aspect of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a top view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 10A  is a bottom view of an additional aspect of the present invention. 
   

   LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the drawings.
           10  Cover     12  User     14  Shoe     16  Sole     18  Upper     20  Opening     22  Elastic     24  Cuff     26  Non-woven Fabric     28  Debris     30  Floor     32  Non-Slip Material     34  Negative Charge (−)     36  Positive Charge (+)     38  Barrier Layer     40  Toe     42  Instep     44  Heel     46  Living Room     48  Kitchen       

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments, practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to appended claims. 
   Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1 through 10A  illustrate the cover of the present invention which is indicated generally by the reference numeral  10 . 
     FIG. 1  is an illustrated view of the present invention in use. The present invention is a cover  10  for the foot or shoe  14  of a user  12 . The cover  10  may be worn over the feet when a user  12  is not wearing shoes or the cover  10  may be worn over the shoes  14  of the user when a user  12  is wearing shoes  14 . The cover  10  is provided with an electrostatic charge and is formed into a slipper-like article having a sole  16  and upper  18 . The upper  18  has an opening  20  therein for accepting or receiving the foot or the shoe  14  of the user  12 . The opening  20  may be provided with elastic  22  to retain the cover  10  about the shoe  14  or the foot of the user  12 . The opening  20  may have a cuff  24  secured thereon for comfort of the user  12  (see  FIG. 5A ). The cuff  24  may include or be made of elastic material so that the cuff  24  is stretchy and elastic and will hold the cover  10  securely about the user  12 . The cover  10  has an excess electrical charge so that when the user  12  places the cover  10  over their shoe  14  or foot and proceeds to walk across a floor  30 , debris  28  including dirt, dust, pollen, dander, etc., are electrically drawn to the cover  10  and retained thereon. Additionally, the sole  16  may be provided with non-slip material  32  in limited areas so as not to defeat or eliminate the debris  28  retaining capability of the cover  10 . The non-slip material  32  may be applied by spray or any other suitable means. 
     FIG. 2  is an illustrated view of the present invention in use on a surface. The present invention is a disposable cover  10  that is worn indoors over shoes  14  or feet for cleaning dust, hair, dander, dirt, and other debris  28  while the wearer goes about normal daily activities. The cover  10  may be made of a non-woven fabric  26 . Elastic  22  is provided at the opening  20  to snugly close the opening  20  around the wearer&#39;s foot or ankle. The cover  10  has a sole  16  that extends over the bottom of the users foot or the sole of their shoe  14 . The cover  10  also has an upper  18  that for extending over at least a portion of the upper part of the user&#39;s  12  foot or the upper of their shoe  14 . It is envisioned that the cover  10  may extend over all or only a part of the upper portion of the user&#39;s foot or the upper of their shoe  14 . The cover  10  may be made of any material with properties that attract and trap dust, dirt, hair, dander, and other debris, but is preferably made of a non-woven fabric  26  or a microfiber which have been provided with an electrostatic charge. The sole  16  may include strips of non-slip material  32  to increase traction ( FIGS. 10 ,  10 A). It is envisioned that the cover  10  of the present invention may be employed on any surface such as but not limited to tile, wood, laminate, and vinyl. 
     FIG. 3  is an illustrative detailed view of the present invention in use on a surface. The cover  10  extends over only a portion of the user&#39;s shoe  14 . It is envisioned that the cover  10  may extend over the entire shoe  14  or only a portion thereof. It is also envisioned that the cover  10  may extend over a small portion of the shoe (see  FIG. 8A ). It is preferred that the cover  10  extends over the sole of the shoe  14  and covers at least a portion of the upper of the shoe  14 . This enables the cover to have a secondary function of keeping floors  30 , including carpeted surfaces from getting dirty from soiled shoes  14 . The disposable cover  10  is worn indoors where cleanliness is desired with the purpose of keeping tile, wood, laminate and vinyl floors free of dust, hair, dander, dirt, and other small debris  28 . The cover  10  may be made of a single piece of material such as non-woven polypropylene where the sole  16  and the upper  18  are made of the same material. The sole  16  and the upper  18  may be made of different materials. The upper  18  may be made of a microfiber and the sole  16  may be made of a non-woven fabric  26  such as polypropylene. Making the upper  18  out of microfiber provides the user with a more comfortable cover  10  when employed over bare feet. The upper  18  and the sole  16  may be joined at a seam by stitching, adhesive bonding, thermally bonding, or any other suitable fastening means. 
     FIG. 4  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. This figure illustrates how the electrostatic charge in the material of the cover  10  functions to attract debris  28  such as but not limited to pollen, dander, dust, hair, and dirt. The cover  10  may be provided with a negative charge  34  as seen in the Figure to attract debris  28  that is positively charged  36 . It is envisioned that the cover  10  may be positively charged to attract negatively charged debris  28 . The cover  10  may also function to prevent dirt and debris  28  on soiled shoes from getting on carpet and other floor  30  surfaces. The cover  10  may be provided with an additional layer on its inner surface to prevent debris  28  that is wet from passing through the cover  10  and soiling carpet and other flooring. The cover  10  may be provided with a barrier layer  38  of waterproof plastic such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or other suitable waterproof plastic ( FIG. 4A ). The barrier layer  28  may be in the form of a sheet. The sheet would preferably be laminated to the material of the cover  10  prior to forming the cover  10 . The cover  10  may employ one or more non-woven layers as seen in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . It is envisioned that multiple layers of non-woven fabric  26  would be laminated together by heat or adhesive or a combination thereof. 
     FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the present invention. Shown is a pair of covers  10  that are worn over the feet or shoes  14  of a user  12 . They are particularly useful for pet owners and allergy sufferers. The cover  10  may be made of a non-woven fabric  26  such as but not limited to a spunbound polypropylene. The material of the cover  10  is provided with an electrostatic charge to attract dander, hair, pollen, dirt, and other debris  28 . 
     FIGS. 6-8  are illustrative side views of the present invention. The three figures show how a cover  10  may be placed over the shoe  14  of the user  12 . The user  12  may grasp the cover  10  and direct the toe of their shoe  14  into the opening  20  ( FIG. 6 ). The opening  20  in the cover  10  is provided with elastic  22  so that it may stretch and expand to receive the shoe  14 . Once the cover  10  has reached a certain point ( FIG. 7 ), the user  12  may grasp the opening  20  with both hands to enlarge it to allow the shoe  14  to pass easily there through. Once the cover  10  has been pulled over the shoe  14  ( FIG. 8 ), the elastic  22  in the opening closes snugly around the shoe  14  and foot of the user  12 . 
     FIG. 9  is a top view of the present invention. This view gives a detailed view of the opening  20  in the cover  10 . The elastic  22  secured to the opening  20  causes the opening  20  to look wrinkled. This is typically known as gathering. The gathering allows the opening  20  to expand without tearing the material of the cover  10 . This is achieved by securing the elastic  22  to the opening  20  after it has been stretched or elongated. After the elastic  22  has been secured, it is allowed to return to its un-stretched state, and the material around the opening  20  gathers and folds on itself causing the wrinkled look. It is envisioned that the material or the fabric forming the cover  10  may be a stretch fabric that has an elastic material in the fabric to make the fabric stretch and enlarge and then return to its original size and shape. This will provide a more snug and secure fit about the feet or shoes  14  of a user  12 . 
     FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the present invention. Shown is exterior surface of the sole  16  of the cover  10 . This is the surface of the sole  16  that comes in contact with the floor  30 . The exterior surface of the sole  16  may be provided with strips of non-slip material  32 . The non-slip material  32  may cover the central part of the sole  16  commonly referred to as the instep  42 . It preferred that the central or instep  42  portion of the sole  16  be free of non-slip material  32  (see  FIG. 10A ). The non-slip material  32  is preferably limited to the toe  40  and heel  44  portions of the sole  16 . This leaves the central or instep  42  portion free of non-slip material  32  and provides a large unobstructed area for the collection of debris  28 . The non-slip material  32  may be a resilient or elastic material such as but not limited to natural rubber, synthetic rubber, elastomers, or other materials that are capable of providing sufficient traction for the user  12 . The non-slip material  32  may be applied by spraying or any other suitable application method. The non-slip material  32  may be applied in any pattern so long as it does not diminish the ability of the cover  10  to collect and retain debris. 
   While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 
   Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.