Abstract:
A device for protecting footwear of a motorcycle rider comprises a sole of a water impermeable material, an upper of bodily flexible material and an adjustable strap for securing the device to footwear of the rider. The device is typically worn on the left foot of the rider because motorcycle transmissions are shifted by the left foot, leaving a characteristic wear pattern on the left shoe or boot of the rider. The upper allows substantial air movement around the rider&#39;s footwear and may be partially or wholly insulated with a foam layer in the upper. Some embodiments provide greater air circulation and less insulation. Two types of adjustable straps are shown.

Description:
[0001]     This invention acts to prevent damage to footwear worn by a motorcycle rider which is caused by shifting the transmission of the motorcycle.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     To date, motorcycles are equipped with a manually shiftable gear transmission. Typically, shifting of the transmission is done by manipulation of a lever with a foot of the driver. Motorcycle transmission levers are, to date, universally on the left side of the transmission case, so it is manipulated with the left foot. The gear shift lever is positioned so the gear shift lever is engaged by the top of the rider&#39;s foot, at a location adjacent or rearward of the knuckle of the big toe. The left shoe or boot of a motorcycle rider is accordingly worn in a characteristic pattern by manipulating the gear shift lever.  
         [0003]     A simple footwear protective device that is widely used by practical motorcycle riders is simply a large athletic sock that is big enough to pass over the rider&#39;s footwear. Often, the rider cuts the sock to leave a band of fabric of 3″ or so wide, or of sufficient width to extend from about the knuckle of the big toe to or intermediate any shoe lacings. There are many problems with socks as shoe protectors. They don&#39;t stay on the foot well at all because the only thing holding them on is the elasticity of the sock fabric and because they tend to roll up. Socks used in this manner quickly become unsightly because they get so dirty they cannot be washed and they unravel.  
         [0004]     In response to this problem, a number of footwear protective devices have been proposed in the prior art, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,168,644; 5,855,078; 5,873,185 and 6,286,234. A similar structure is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,651.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The motorcycle riding universe, like most others, is not a monolithic group in which all are alike. There is a segment of rough and tumble types, a segment of older middle class riders, a segment of riders of what are known as sport bikes, and others. In one sense, this invention is aimed at sport bike riders. Sport bike riders are characterized by being well dressed and being interested in the appearance of both the motorcycle and the rider and are accordingly a natural group of buyers of footwear protective devices to prevent damage to the rider&#39;s left boot or shoe.  
         [0006]     In this invention, a footwear protective device comprises a sole of water impermeable material, an upper of bodily flexible material and a strap for holding the device on the user&#39;s footwear. The sole is preferably of rubber like material and is relatively stiff compared to the upper. The sole accordingly makes the device quite durable. The sole extends rearwardly on the rider&#39;s footwear to a location short of the heel of the rider&#39;s shoe or boot. The sole is preferably rather thin so the rider can walk with the footwear protector in place without noticing it is being worn.  
         [0007]     The upper is preferably a fabric which tends to shed water and provides for air circulation around and/or through the protective device. In a preferred embodiment, an open toe allows air passage through the protective device cooling the rider&#39;s foot and allowing the upper to dry if it has become wet. The open toe also provides considerable flexibility so the upper conforms to shoe or boots of different design. The preferred embodiment also preferably provides a layer of insulation, at least on the side facing the transmission which acts to keep the rider&#39;s foot cool during long rides. Other embodiments provide greater air circulation and less insulation. The strap is designed to hold the protective device comfortably on the rider&#39;s footwear with a minimum of bother.  
         [0008]     It is an object of this invention to provide an improved protector that is used to prevent damage to footwear of a motorcycle rider.  
         [0009]     A further object of this invention is to provide a footwear protector for motorcycle riders which is inexpensive, durable, washable and acts to prevent damage to the rider&#39;s gear shifting shoe or boot.  
         [0010]     Another object of this invention is to provide a footwear protective device that may be made of different colors and/or different textures to provide an attractive accessory for a motorcycle rider.  
         [0011]     These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a footwear protective device of this invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the footwear protective device of  FIG. 1 , showing an adjustable strap splayed outwardly so it can be seen;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the footwear protective device of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the footwear protective device of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  4 -- 4 , as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the footwear protector of this invention, taken substantially along line  5 -- 5  of  FIG. 1 , as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of another embodiment of this invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of another embodiment of this invention; and  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of another embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , a footwear protective device  10  of this invention is illustrated. The device  10  comprises, as major components, a sole  12 , an upper  14  and an adjustable strap  16  for securing the device  10  to a motorcycle rider&#39;s boot or shoe  18 . The motorcycle rider&#39;s boot or shoe  18  is of conventional type including a sole  20 , a heel  22 , and an upper  24 . As will be more fully apparent hereinafter, an important feature of this invention is the sole  12  of the device  10  terminates substantially forward of the heel  22  of the rider&#39;s footwear  18 .  
         [0021]     The sole  12  is made of a durable, water impermeable material typical of shoe soles in general, such as leather, soft plastic, rubber or the like and is preferably a pair of thin flat rubber or rubber like sheets or sections  26 ,  28 . As shown best in  FIG. 5 , the upper  14  is sewn to the uppermost sole section  26  by a row of stitches  30  and the sewn assembly is glued or otherwise attached to the lowermost sole section  28 . As will become more fully apparent hereinafter, the sole  12  is considerably more rigid than the upper  14  and is of the same order of stiffness as normal shoe soles.  
         [0022]     The upper  14  is made of a bodily flexible material, preferably a pair of fabric layers  32  and an interior foam insulating layer  34  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The fabric layers  32  are preferably smooth and inelastic so the device  10  more easily slips onto the footwear of the rider. The foam layer  34  provides thermal insulation thereby minimizing heat transfer from the transmission to the rider&#39;s foot. As shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , the upper  14  is made of a central panel  36  and two lateral panels  38 ,  40  sewn together along seams  44 ,  46 . It will accordingly be seen that the upper  14  provides a rearwardly open receptacle receiving the forward end of the rider&#39;s footwear as shown in dashed lines in  FIG. 3 . Preferably, the upper provides an open toe  50  allowing air to flow through the receptacle, around the rider&#39;s footwear thereby cooling the rider&#39;s foot and promoting rider comfort. Suitable sewn seams  52 ,  54  terminate the edges of the upper  14  in a conventional manner.  
         [0023]     The adjustable strap  16  may be of any suitable type or configuration to secure the protective device  10  to the rider. A preferred arrangement is shown in  FIGS. 1-4  where the strap  16  includes a first section  56  attached to one side of the upper  14  and a second section  58  attached to the other side of the upper  14 . The first strap section  56  includes a long piece  60  sewn to the upper  14  and extending generally parallel to the sole  12 . A short diagonal piece  62  sewn to the long piece  60  and to the upper  14  at a location above the terminus of the long piece  60 . A pair of hood-and-loop connectors  64  are provided to tie down the end of the long piece  60  as will become more fully apparent hereinafter. The strap  16  is adjustable in any suitable manner, as by making the connectors  64  of considerable length, as will become more fully apparent hereinafter.  
         [0024]     The second strap section  58  includes a first piece  66  sewn to the upper  14  and generally parallel to the sole  12 . A second shorter diagonal piece  68  is sewn between the upper  14  and the first piece  66 . A pair of D-rings  70  are sewn into the end of the first piece  66  so the end of the strap section  56  can be looped through the D-rings  70 . By passing the end of strap section  56  through the D-rings  70  so the connectors  64  abut, a loop is formed by the strap  16  around the back or heel of the upper  24  of the footwear  18  shown in  FIG. 3 . The size of the loop is adjustable because the connectors  64  are of considerable length and thus can be overlapped to one degree or other. It will be seen that the loop lies along a line  72  on the back of the footwear  18  and the sole  12  terminates well forward of the heel  22 . Thus, the sole  12  terminates about midway between the toe end of the device  10  and the heel  22 , by which it is meant that the sole  12  extends between about 30-70% of the distance between the toe end of the device  10  and the line  72 . As seen best in  FIGS. 1-4 , the pieces  62 ,  68  may comprise opposite ends of a length of strap passing under and sewn to the seam  54 .  
         [0025]     Use of the footwear protective device  10  should now be apparent. The rider puts his left foot into the receptacle provided by the upper  14  so the toe of the shoe or boot  18  extends to or through the open toe  50 . The strap  16  is threaded through the D-rings  70  to provide a loop extending around the heel of the rider&#39;s shoe  18  and then cinched up. The upper  14  covers the area from the rider&#39;s big toe and to where the rider&#39;s leg begins. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 3 , there is plenty of room and plenty of material to abut and manipulate the gear shift lever  74 . It will be seen that the upper  14  is perforate to allow easy air flow through the receptacle and around the rider&#39;s footwear  18 .  
         [0026]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , there is illustrated another embodiment of a footwear protective device  76  of this invention. The device  76  is substantially identical to the device  10  except the upper  78  is made of a combination fabric/foam insulating material  80  on the left and a large mesh fabric  82  on the right. The material  80  provides protection to the rider&#39;s footwear and the mesh fabric  82  supports the edge of the material  80  and provides for air circulation around the rider&#39;s footwear.  
         [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , there is illustrated another embodiment of a footwear protective device  84  of this invention. The device  84  is substantially identical to the device  76  except the mesh fabric  82  has been replaced by a series of straps  86  sewn to the sole. The combination fabric/foam insulating material  88  provides protection to the rider&#39;s footwear and the straps  86  support the edge of the material  88  and provide for air circulation around the rider&#39;s footwear.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , there is illustrated another embodiment of a footwear protective device  90  of this invention. The device  84  is substantially identical to the device  76  except the upper  92  comprises a large mesh fabric  94  spanning the sides of the sole  96  and a leather or heavy vinyl pad  98  bonded to the mesh fabric  94 . The pad  98  provides protection to the rider&#39;s footwear and the mesh fabric  94  supports the pad  98  and provides air circulation around the rider&#39;s footwear. The device  90  conveniently provides an open toe assisting the mesh fabric  94  to conform to the shape of the rider&#39;s footwear.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 9 , there is illustrated another embodiment of a footwear protective device  100  of this invention having a sole  102 , an upper  104  and an adjustable strap  106 . The device  100  may be substantially identical to any of the devices  10 ,  76 ,  84 ,  90  except the strap  106  is designed to pass under the rider&#39;s footwear  108  rather than past the rider&#39;s heel. Most shoes and boots with heels  110  have soles  112  that are slightly concave thereby providing a recessed location  114  for the strap  106 . The strap  106  provides a pair of legs  116 ,  118  connected to spaced locations on the upper  104 . One of the legs  116  includes one or more D-rings  120  for receiving an end of a strap section  122  connected in a similar manner to the opposite side of the device  100 .  
         [0030]     It will be seen that the soles of the various footwear protective devices  10 ,  76 ,  84 ,  90 ,  100  are generally flat in the sense that the soles lack a heel of a thickness greater than the heels  22 ,  110  of the shoe or boot with which the protective devices are used. Partially for this reason, a rider can walk wearing the protective devices and not be aware of wearing them.  
         [0031]     Although this invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred forms is only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of operation and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.