Abstract:
An antiskid overshoe suitable for being reversibly secured to a shoe. The antiskid overshoe includes a net made of a textile material. The net includes cords produced by knitting, the cords combining to define meshes of the net suitable for forming cleats. Both ends of the net arc encapsulated in a strap, each defining a closed loop, through which an elastic cord passes, the elastic cord further passing through the meshes defined at the two side edges of the net.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application is a National Stage Application of PCT International Application No. PCT/FR2010/051535 (tiled on Jul. 21, 2010), under 35 USC. §371, which claims priority to French Patent Application No. 0957853 (filed on Nov. 6, 2009), which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their respective entireties. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an antiskid overshoe intended to be secured reversibly to a shoe. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Walking, let alone running, on slippery surfaces, is always a perilous affair. To this end, various solutions have been put forward to obviate the risk of slipping inadvertently which may lead to the person falling over. 
         [0004]    Among these solutions, shoes have been proposed that have a sole defining a certain number of cleats, such as snow boots. This type of shoe is relatively heavy and cumbersome, and is intended for the sole purpose of walking on slippery surfaces. 
         [0005]    A proposal has also been made to add cleat systems that use thongs and other belts looping around the ankle and the top of the foot. Here too, these systems are both relatively heavy and relatively expensive. 
         [0006]    In neither case is running conceivable. 
         [0007]    There is a growing need for systems to be available that can be added straightforwardly to a shoe, and are lighter in weight, while endowing it with the requisite antiskid properties, particularly on snow and ice. 
         [0008]    Such is the object of this invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    To this end, the invention relates to an antiskid overshoe suitable for being reversibly secured to a shoe, whatever type of shoe is involved. 
         [0010]    This antiskid overshoe consists of a net made of a textile material, and in this instance, consists of cords produced by knitting, said cords in turn being assembled together by knitting, so as to define the meshes of the net suitable for forming cleats. 
         [0011]    Additionally, both ends of the net are encapsulated in a strap, each defining a closed loop. 
         [0012]    Lastly, it includes an elastic cord, passing through the meshes defined at the two side edges of the net, as well as through the two loops defined by the straps. 
         [0013]    Thus, because of the elastic nature of the cord, the resulting inventive shoe is easily positioned on a shoe, and the cleats defined by the meshes of the net, constitute effective means for countering the risks of slipping, 
         [0014]    Incidentally, because of the nature of the net and the particular lightness thereof, neither walking nor even running is affected by this overshoe. 
         [0015]    In accordance with one advantageous feature of the invention, the overshoe is also provided with an additional loop suitable for stretching over the top of the user&#39;s foot after the overshoe is put in place, and optimising the actual securement of the overshoe on the user&#39;s shoe. 
         [0016]    To advantage, the net is made of polyester or polyamide (or PP/PE), possibly coated with polyurethane and generally with elastomer, suitable for optimising the antiskid characteristics of the overshoe. 
         [0017]    Additionally, the net may be provided with clasps or clips, positioned either at the junction of the cords defining the meshes of the net, or at any point on said cords, in the interests of optimising the anti-slip characteristics on hard surfaces, such as ice or black ice. These clasps are made of metal or plastic, or even thermoplastic material. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The manner in which the invention may be implemented, and the resulting advantages, will become clearer from the following embodiment example, given for information purposes and non-restrictively, supported by the appended figures. 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a diagrammatic perspective view of the overshoe in accordance with the invention, set in place on a shoe. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrate a diagrammatic view of the elastic cord employed in the inventive shoe provided with its two straps, front and rear respectively. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  illustrates a diagrammatic view showing the net constituting the overshoe, shown fiat, and provided with its front and rear straps. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    In  FIG. 1  the antiskid overshoe in accordance with the invention has thus been illustrated set in place on a shoe. It will be noted that the shoe in this instance is a totally conventional shoe, in this instance a sports shoe, exactly as permitted by the inventive overshoe. 
         [0023]    In accordance with the invention, this overshoe basically consists of a net  1  made of a textile material and defining a certain number of meshes  10 , the meshes  10  being intended to form cleats, suitable for providing the requisite adhesion on a slippery surface and in particular on snow. 
         [0024]    Thus, the meshes  10  form so many projections, the typical height of which relative to the sole of the shoe is roughly between 3 and 8 turn. 
         [0025]    In accordance with the invention, this net  1  is formed by knitting cords  16 , in turn obtained by knitting. 
         [0026]    In accordance with the invention, the operation of knitting the cords  16 , and the net  1  itself, is performed simultaneously, for example, on knitting machines of the MULLER type or the like, and to be more specific on a GWM double bed square section knitting machine or on a RD3/MT3 single bed round section knitting machine. 
         [0027]    The cords  16  are produced, as already stated, by knitting and each comprise a plurality of strands, for example, from one to ten. The required diameter of each cord  16 , and therefore, consequently the height of the cleats, is obtained by knitting and tightening the strands to each other. 
         [0028]    These cords  16  are made of polyester or polyamide. A combination is sought of high mechanical strength, good adhesion properties, and to advantage a certain abrasion resistance. 
         [0029]    During the knitting operation, meshes  10  are formed, of substantially standardised dimensions, for example 40×40 mm which, when the net in question is set in place on the shoe, have a square or diamond shape. 
         [0030]    The front  12  and rear  11  ends respectively of the net are each encapsulated in a front  3  and rear  4  strap respectively, the straps  3 ,  4  being sewn edge to edge to prevent delamination of the net  1 , in other words to ensure the stability of the net  1  over time. 
         [0031]    These straps  3 ,  4  are, for example, made of polypropylene or polyester and each define a loop  7  and  6  respectively, for passing through an elastic cord  2 , which continues its way in the meshes  14  and  15  respectively on both side edges of the net  1 . 
         [0032]    In so doing, the elastic cord  2 , because of its elasticity, secures the overshoe to the shoe. 
         [0033]    In the interests of optimising this securement, and in particular when the overshoe is intended to be set in place on a sports shoe for sport on snow or mud for example, the securement is optimised by means of a strap or loop  8 , one end of which is secured to one of the side strands of the elastic cord  2 , and the other end of which is wound around the other side strand of the cord  2 , and is pulled down onto the strap and secured reversibly thereto, for example, by means of a loop and hook system  9  (such as Velcro® for example). 
         [0034]    In accordance with one advantageous feature of the invention, the net is also provided with clasps or clips  13 , arranged, for example, in junction zones of the cords  16  forming the meshes  10 , this location not, however, being mandatory. These clasps or clips  13 , of metal, for example (stainless steel or galvanised steel), are intended to partially penetrate into a hard material, such as ice, in order to optimise the antiskid properties of the overshoe. 
         [0035]    Lastly, and in order to facilitate setting the overshoe in place on the shoe, the rear strap  4  is provided with a loop-forming tab  5 , allowing one of the user&#39;s fingers to pass through so as to promote the insertion of the overshoe on the shoe. 
         [0036]    It is easily understood that because of the very considerable lightness of the overshoe, it does not affect walking or running, something which was not achievable with known prior art devices. 
         [0037]    Incidentally, the cleats defined by the meshes of the net promote the adhesion of the shoe thus covered with the overshoe, and particularly on snow, with no need to provide specific components or devices as described in the prior art such as detachable cleats. 
         [0038]    Lastly, it is easy to understand how extremely straightforward it is to set the inventive overshoe in place, since the shoe has merely to be inserted into the rear zone of the overshoe, defining in the zone where the rear strap engages with the net, a housing provided to this end, and by means of the elastic cords and the tab  5 , the rear part of the overshoe is positioned correctly on the shoe. 
         [0039]    Although embodiments have been described herein, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.