Abstract:
A pedicure sandal ( 10 ) fabricated from a spongy foot form includes a base portion ( 12 ) having an outer perimeter shaped to accommodate a human foot and an integrally connected toe separating portion ( 18 ) selectively attached ( 20 ) to the base portion to form a plurality of toe-receiving loops ( 18   a-e ) for engaging and separating the wearers toes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to footwear and more particularly to a disposable pedicure sandal wherein the structure of the sandal maintains the toes in a separated position and also prevents the foot from engaging the ground or other surface over which the wearer walks. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     During the performance of a pedicure it is necessary to maintain the toes of the pedicure recipient in a spaced apart relation to provide easy access by the person performing the pedicure, as well as to prevent damage to any of the beautification treatment performed on the toes. Furthermore, toe separation is preferred for a period of time following the pedicure to prevent damage to the beautification treatment due to inadvertent contact between adjacent toes. Historically, the separation of toes during pedicure treatments has been achieved using wads of tissue, cotton and like random articles. In addition, various toe spacing devices specifically designed for use during the performance of a pedicure are commercially available. More recently, various pedicure sandals and sandal systems have been developed in an effort to enable individuals to walk around after a pedicure without damaging the treatment. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,987 discloses a pedicure sandal assembly to be worn following a pedicure, including a base portion having a foot connecting strap and spacers mounted thereon. The sandal disclosed in the &#39;987 patent has significant limitations. First, because the sandal is for use after a pedicure it does not address the issue of providing toe separation during the pedicure. Second, the disclosed sandal has a relatively complicated structure, requiring the assembly of a plurality of individual components during manufacture. Consequently, employing the disclosed assembly as a disposable sandal would be cost prohibitive. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,880 discloses a pedicure aid incorporating individually attachable toe separator subassemblies for separating the toes during and after a pedicure, and wearable as a sandal to protect the toes from damage after a pedicure. However, like the sandal disclosed in the &#39;987 patent, the multi-component sandal assembly disclosed in the &#39;880 patent would be impractical for use as a disposable pedicure sandal. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,870,837 and 5,946,823 disclose further pedicure sandal designs wearable during and after the pedicure procedure. However, each of the disclosed assemblies suffer from one or more of the aforementioned limitations. 
     Accordingly, there is a well established need for a comfortable pedicure sandal wearable both during and after the performance of a pedicure, wherein the construction of the sandal is conducive to its manufacture as a cost-effective disposable article. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sandal designed for maintaining separation of the wearer&#39;s toes during and after a pedicure treatment. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sandal designed for effectively preventing damage to the treated toes while enabling the wearer to walk about comfortably following a pedicure treatment. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sandal having a construction conducive to its cost-effective manufacture as a disposable article. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a pedicure sandal having foot supporting and toe separating means constructed from a contiguous area of material. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a disposable pedicure sandal having a means for being easily removed without contacting the treated toe nails of the wearer. 
     These and other objects are achieved by the pedicure sandal of the present invention which includes a base portion  12  for supporting a human foot, and an integral toe separating portion  18  for engaging the toes and maintaining a desired toe spacing. In particular, integral toe separating portion  18  is selectively attached to the upper surface  14  of base portion  12  at strategically located attachment regions  20  to form individual toe-receiving loops  18 ( a-e ). 
     Each sandal is fabricated from a planar foot form  26  constructed from a spongy sheet of material for cushioning the foot of the wearer. Preferably, foot form  26  is provided with a single continuous cut along dotted line  23  to enable the partial detachment of a toe separating portion  18  from the base portion  12 . Alternatively, foot form  26  can be manufactured partially detached along dotted line  23  to enable the toe separating portion  18  to be easily detached at a later time without requiring a cutting or shearing apparatus. 
     The toe separating portion  18  is preferably sewn, or stitched, to upper surface  14  of base portion  12 . Alternatively, attachment can be achieved using mechanical fasteners, chemical adhesives, hook and pile attachments and heat seal means. Regardless of the attachment means employed, toe separating portion  18  is strategically secured to surface  14  to form individual toe receiving loops  18 ( a-e ) sized for comfortably engaging the individual toes  40 - 44  of the wearer&#39;s foot, and positioned for maintaining adequate separation of said toes. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fully constructed pedicure sandal in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the pedicure footwear of the present invention in a partially fabricated state of construction, illustrating the location of the cut  23  made prior to attachment of the toe separating portion  18  to surface  14 ; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially fabricated pedicure footwear of the present invention, illustrating the partial detachment of the toe separating portion  18  from the initial foot form  26  of FIG. 3 during fabrication of the sandal; 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the pedicure footwear of FIG. 1, illustrating the positioning of a phantom foot  30  therein. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In use, the pedicure sandals of the present invention are provided in pairs and include left and right sandals for being worn on the respective left and right feet of the pedicure recipient. The left and right pedicure sandals are substantially the same except one is adapted for the left foot and one adapted for the right foot. Although the following description and illustrations are directed primarily to the right pedicure sandal for the purpose of clarity, it is to be understood that the discussion is equally relevant to the left pedicure sandal. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the pedicure sandal  10  of the present invention is set forth in a completely fabricated state. The pedicure sandal  10  includes a base portion  12  for supporting a human foot, and an integral toe separating portion  18  for engaging the toes and maintaining a desired toe spacing. In particular, integral toe separating portion  18  is selectively attached to the upper surface  14  of base portion  12  at strategically located attachment regions  20  to form individual toe-receiving loops  18 ( a-e ). As used herein, the term “integral” is intended to denote the unitary, or one piece, construction of the base and toe receiving portions. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, each sandal is fabricated from a planar member  26  having a perimeter defined by edge  24 , and generally shaped for accommodating a human foot. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a planar member  26  in the form of a human foot is cut from a larger area of spongy material (not shown) that provides for the cushioning of the foot when worn as a footwear. For example, the planar foot form  26  can be cut from a larger area of material using conventional die cutting equipment. The use of such equipment is well known in the art and further description is not provided herein. Although the use of an inexpensive sponge rubber material is preferred, the invention is not intended to be so limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of footwear manufacturing that the pedicure sandal of the present invention lends itself to fabrication using any of myriad flexible sheet-like materials, including flexible plastics and polymer foams. Furthermore, in lieu of the preferred single layer construction, foot form  26  can incorporate a multilayer construction. 
     Preferably, planar foot form  26  is provided with a single continuous cut (denoted by dotted line  23 ) to enable the partial detachment of toe separating portion  18  from base portion  12 . More specifically, the cut  23  enables toe separating portion  18  to be separated from base portion  12  along the perimeter of planar foot form  26  proximate end  15 , as clearly illustrated in FIG.  3 . Alternatively, planar member  26  can be manufactured partially detached along dotted line  23  to enable the toe separating portion  18  to be easily detached at a later time without requiring a cutting or shearing apparatus. In other words, in this alternate embodiment of the invention toe separating portion  18  is frangible along phantom line  23 . For example, partial detachment can be achieved by providing a series of perforations along phantom line  23 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4, the toe separating portion  18  is preferably sewn, or stitched, to upper surface  14  of base portion  12 . However, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, myriad other means of attaching toe separating portion  18  to surface  14  are available. For example, attachment can be achieved using: mechanical fasteners, such as staples and rivets; chemical adhesives; hook and pile attachments, such as that sold under the trademark VELCRO; and heat seal means, to name just a few. Regardless of the attachment means employed, toe separating portion  18  is strategically secured to surface  14  to form individual toe receiving loops  18 ( a-e ) sized for comfortably engaging the individual toes  40 - 44  of the wearer&#39;s foot, and positioned for maintaining adequate separation of said toes. 
     Preferably, the strength of the resulting attachment regions  20  are adequate to prevent the inadvertent detachment of the toe separating portion at these regions during use. However, it is also preferable that these same attachment regions  20  enable the toe separating portion  18  to be detached by the wearer after the sandal has served its intended function, i.e., after the toe treatment has adequately dried or cured. Accordingly, it is preferred that the strength of the attachment regions  20  is such that the wearer can effectively detach the toe separating portion  18  from surface  14  at these regions by pulling upwards on portion  18 . The ability to detach the toe separating portion  18  from surface  14  in this manner results in a significant benefit of the present invention. Namely, the pedicure sandal can be removed and disposed of without requiring the wearer to slide her toes through loops  18 ( a-e ), thereby minimizing the potential for damaging the beautification treatment during removal of the sandal. 
     The novel structure of the present invention provides for significant advantages vis-a-vis known pedicure sandals. Most notably, the integration of the base portion  12  and the toe separation portion  18  into a single-bodied structure has provided for significant material and manufacturing cost reduction. As a result, the pedicure sandals of the present invention can be cost-effectively manufactured for disposable use. 
     While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not so limited. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described in the claims. For example, in lieu of cutting the planar foot forms  26  from sheets of material, planar foot forms  26  can be formed by employing any of a number of known molding technologies.