Patent Publication Number: US-2020296930-A1

Title: Elasticized pet footwear article

Description:
RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/820,533, filed Mar. 19, 2019 and entitled “ELASTICIZED PET FOOTWEAR ARTICLE”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to a pet footwear article, and more particularly, to a pet footwear article having a plurality of elastic bands extending laterally about the upper and configured to provide a compressive force of the upper of the footwear article. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In the field of pet accessories, footwear for pets is a popular item, especially for pet dogs. The footwear is worn over the paws of the pet to provide protection to the paws, such as from dirt and debris, abrasive surfaces and/or cold surfaces in colder climates. 
     Various currently available footwear articles for pets do not provide a proper fit when worn on the paws of a pet due to the wide variety of paw shapes and sizes. Accordingly, such currently available footwear article for pets have a high chance of falling off when worn (ex: due to a loose fit) and/or can cause discomfort to the pet (ex: due to overly tight fit). 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect, there is provided a pet footwear article comprising a sole, an upper formed at least partly of fabric and having a top edge defining a top opening for receiving a paw of a pet and a lower edge being joined to the soles and a set of a plurality of elastic bands extending laterally about the upper and configured to provide a compressive force to the upper. 
     According to another aspect, there is provided a method or causing a pet to wear a pet footwear article. The method includes providing the pet footwear article, the pet footwear article having a sole, an upper formed at least partly of fabric and having a vamp portion and a shaft portion, the vamp portion having a lower edge being joined to the sole and the shaft portion extending upwardly from the vamp portion and having a top opening, a frontal opening and a fastener mechanism for selectively closing the frontal opening, the pet footwear article further having a plurality of elastic bands extending laterally about the upper; unfastening the fastener mechanism to cause opening of the frontal opening of the shaft portion; inserting the paw of the pet into the pet footwear article via the top opening and the frontal opening of the shaft portion, whereby the paw is supported on the sole; and fastening the fastener mechanism to cause closing of the frontal opening, whereby the elastic bands extend in their stretched state about the paw and a leg of the pet to provide a compressive force onto the paw and the leg. 
     According to an example embodiment, the set of elastic bands are sewn onto an inner surface of the upper. 
     According to an example embodiment, the set of elastic bands are sewn with a zigzag stitching pattern. 
     According to an example embodiment, the sewing of the set of elastic bands to the upper causes a shirring to the fabric. 
     According to an example embodiment, the upper comprises a vamp portion and a shaft portion, the vamp portion having the lower edge and being joined to the sole and the shaft portion extending upwardly from the vamp portion to the top opening. 
     According to an example embodiment, the vamp portion is sized and shaped to provide a snug fit to the paw of the pet and wherein the shaft portion is sized and shaped to provide a snug fit about a lower leg region of the pet 
     According to an example embodiment, the vamp portion and the shaft portion of the upper is formed of a monolithic piece of fabric. 
     According to an example embodiment, a first subset of the set of elastic bands extend circumferentially about the shaft portion and a second subset of one or more elastic bands of the set of elastic bands extend along the vamp portion. 
     According to an example embodiment, each of the elastic bands of the first subset are oriented parallelly to the top opening. 
     According to an example embodiment, the second subset of one or more elastic bands overlaps with the sole. 
     According to an example embodiment, the one or more elastic bands of the second subset each have an end terminating at the sole. 
     According to an example embodiment, the shaft portion comprises first and second frontal edges defining a frontal opening extending from the top edge of the upper along a front of the shaft portion to the vamp portion and a fastener mechanism configured for selectively closing the frontal opening. 
     According to an example embodiment, the fastener mechanism is a hook and loop fastener extending along the first and second frontal edges of the frontal opening of the shaft portion of the upper. 
     According to an example embodiment, the first subset of elastic bands comprises a plurality of rows of elastic bands each extending from the first frontal edge along a circumference of the shaft to the second frontal edge. 
     According to an example embodiment, the each of the one or more elastic bands of the second subset extend from a lower end of the frontal opening of the shaft portion to the sole. 
     According to an example embodiment, a height of the shaft portion is adjustable by cutting a top portion of the shaft portion, wherein a finish of the top edge of the shaft portion prior to the cutting and a finish of the top edge of the shaft portion after the cutting is substantially the same. 
     According to an example embodiment, the fabric of the upper is a stretch fabric. 
     According to an example embodiment, prior to inserting the paw into the pet footwear article, cutting a top portion of the shaft portion to adjust a height of the shaft portion in accordance with a length of the leg of the pet. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the embodiments described herein and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings which show at least one exemplary embodiment, and in which: 
         FIG. 1A  is a front elevation view of a pet footwear article according to an example embodiment; 
         FIG. 1B  is a front elevation view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the pet footwear article with an open frontal opening according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a first side elevation view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a rear elevation view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 7  is a blank of the upper of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the pet footwear article according to one example embodiment. 
     
    
    
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements or steps. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, this description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein in any way but rather as merely describing the implementation of the various embodiments described herein. 
     It was observed that pets, especially dogs, have diverse paw shapes, leg shapes and leg height. This diversity is caused by variety in breed, genetics, age and lifestyle (ex: life history). Additionally, it was observed that nail length and shape can significantly impact the paw print, thereby also affecting the space required within a footwear article for covering the paw. 
       FIGS. 1A to 6, 8, and 9  illustrate various views of a pet footwear article  1  according an example embodiment the pet footwear article  1 . The pet footwear article  1  includes a sole  8  and an upper  16 . The sole  8  can be formed of a material that provides grip (ex: frictional engagement) when engaging a ground surface. The sole  8  can be formed of polyvinyl chloride. A front of the sole and the rear of the sole can be raised to provide protection and stability. 
     The upper  16  is formed partly of a flexible fabric. In various example embodiments, the fabric can be stretch fabric having some elasticity to permit expansion of the upper  16 . The fabric can be a synthetic material, such as neoprene or an equivalent fabric. The upper  16  further has a top edge  24  defining a top opening  32  for receiving a paw of a pet. The upper  16  further has a lower edge  36  that is joined to the sole  8 . The lower edge  36  can be joined to the outer edges of the sole  8  according to methods commonly known in the art (ex: using an appropriate adhesive) to form a housing for receiving the paw of the pet. The joint between the upper  16  and the sole  8  can provide a waterproof seal. 
     According to some example embodiments, and illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the upper  16  of the pet footwear article  1  can include a toe cap portion  40  formed of a sturdy, non-elastic material. The top cap portion  40  can be formed of polyurethane. As illustrated, an edge of the portion of the upper  16  formed of the fabric is joined to an edge of the top cap portion  40 , such as by stitching  48  along the two edges. The lower edge of the top cap portion  40  is joined to the outer edges of the sole  8  along a frontal region of the sole  8 . 
     The pet footwear article  1  further includes a set of a plurality of elastic bands  56  ( FIG. 2 ) extending laterally along the upper  16 . The elastic bands  56  have a stiffness that is greater than the stiffness of the fabric (ex: stretch fabric) forming the upper  16 . Accordingly, the elastic bands  56  provide a compressive force when stretched that is greater than the compressive force by the material of the upper  16 . 
     The lateral direction corresponds generally to a direction  58  that is aligned with the sole  8  or the ground onto which the pet footwear article  1  will be supported when in use. A heightwise direction  60  is transverse to the lateral direction and corresponds generally to the direction of the leg of the pet wearing the pet footwear article  1  when in use. It will be understood that while the elastic bands  56  are oriented laterally along the upper  16 , some of the elastic bands can also have a component of orientation in the heightwise direction  60 . 
     According to one example embodiment, and as illustrated, the elastic bands  56  are sewn to the fabric of the upper  16 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the elastics bands may be sewn onto the inner surface of the upper  16 . The sewing can be carried out using a zigzag stitching pattern ( 64   a,    64   b    64   c . . . ) to permit lateral stretching of the fabric of the upper  16 . The sewing further causes the fabric of the upper  16  to have shirring in regions corresponding to the zigzag stitching. 
     According to one example embodiment, and as illustrated in the figures, the upper  16  has a vamp portion  72  and a shaft portion  80 . The lower edge  36  of the upper  16  is located in the vamp portion  72 . Accordingly, the vamp portion  72  of the upper  16  is joined to the sole  8 . The shaft portion  80  extends upwardly from the vamp portion  72 . The top edge  24  of the upper and the top opening  32  are found in the shaft portion  80 . 
     When the pet footwear article  1  is properly worn, the vamp portion  72  covers the paw of the pet and the shaft portion  80  covers a lower region of the leg of the pet. Due to the elasticity of the set of the elastic bands  56  extending laterally about the upper  16  to provide the compressive force, the vamp portion  72  is sized and shaped to provide a snug fit to the paw of the pet and the shaft portion  80  is sized and shaped to provide a snug fit to the lower leg region of the leg. It will be understood that the snug fit is provided where an appropriate size (ex: from sizes 2XS to 3XL) is selected for a given pet. It will be understood that the design is applicable for a variety of sizes, and can include sizes smaller than 2XS or larger than 3XL. 
     According to one example embodiment, and as illustrated, the vamp portion  72  and the shaft portion  80  are formed of a monolithic piece of fabric. It will be understood that the piece of fabric being monolithic means that a single piece of fabric is used to form both the vamp portion  72  and the shaft portion  80  and that the two portions  72 ,  80  are not formed from joining together two previously discrete pieces of fabric. 
     The set of the plurality of elastic bands  56  are distributed over both the vamp portion  72  and the shaft portion  80 . According to one example embodiment, and as illustrated, the set of elastic bands  56  includes a first subset of elastic bands located along the shaft portion  80  and a second subset of one or more elastic bands located along the vamp portion  72 . In the example illustrated in the  FIGS. 1A, 3, 4, and 7 , the exemplary pet footwear article  1  is denoted to be a “medium” size and the first subset of elastic bands consists of 7 rows of elastic bands  56  (corresponding to zigzag rows  64   a,    64   b,    64   c,    64   d,    64   e,    64   f  and  64   g ). In the same figures, the second subset of elastic bands consists of a single row of elastic bands  56  (corresponding to zigzag row  64   h ). 
     In the examples shown in the pet footwear article of  FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9  the first subset of elastic bands  56  (as represented by zigzag stitching  64   a,    64   b,    64   c , . . . ) located on the shaft portion  80  consists of 6 rows of elastic bands  56  and the second subset of elastic bands consists of a single row of elastic bands  56 . Accordingly, the pet footwear article shown in the  FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6  can correspond to another size (ex: size “small”) of the pet footwear article  1  or that the height of the shaft portion  80  has been adjusted, as described elsewhere herein. 
     The shaft portion  80  has a generally tubular shape for receiving the lower leg region of a pet. The first subset of the set of elastic bands  56  located on the shaft portion extend laterally and circumferentially about the shaft portion  80 . That is, each elastic band  56  of the first subset extend around the tubular shape of the shaft portion  80  while maintaining a substantially constant heightwise position along the shaft portion  80 . As illustrated  FIG. 4 , the elastic bands  56  (as represented by zigzag stitching  64   a,    64   b,    64   c , . . . ) of the first subset extend over a back of the shaft portion  80  of the upper  16 . For example, and as illustrated, the elastic bands  56  of the first subset are oriented to be substantially parallel with one another. The elastic bands  56  of the first subset can also be oriented to be substantially parallel with the top edge of the upper  16  defining the top opening  32 . 
     The second subset of one or more elastic bands  56  extends about the vamp portion  72 . For example, and as illustrated, the second subset of one or more elastic bands  56  is located on the vamp portion  72  at a position that overlaps with where the vamp portion  72  is joined to the sole  8 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , a row of elastic bands of the second subset (as represented by zig zag stitching  64   h ) extends to terminate at the sole  8 . Each of the elastic bands of the second subset can have an end that terminates at the sole  8 . 
     With continued reference to the  FIGS. 1A to 6, 8, and 9  and as best seen in  FIG. 2 , the shaft portion  80  of the upper  16  has first and second frontal edges  88 ,  96  that extend in a heightwise direction  60  of the shaft portion  80 . The frontal edges  88 ,  96  define a frontal opening  104 . As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the frontal opening  104  is a continuation of the top opening  32  and extends from the top edge  24  of the upper  16  along a front of the shaft portion  80 . The frontal opening  104  can extend to the vamp portion  72 . In some embodiments, the frontal opening  104  can also extend into the vamp portion  72 . 
     The shaft portion  80  further includes a fastener mechanism  112  for selectively closing the frontal opening  104 .  FIGS. 1A, 1B, 3, 5, and 8  show the fastener mechanism  112  in a closed position to close the frontal opening  104 . 
     In the illustrated example, the fastener mechanism  112  is a hook and loop fastener extending along the first and second frontal edges  88  and  96  of the shaft portion  80  of the upper  16 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hook portion of the fastener mechanism  112  extends along the first frontal edge  88  and the loop portion of the fastener mechanism  112  extends along the second frontal edge  96 . 
     The opening of the frontal opening  104  provides a greater clearance (in combination with top opening  32 ) for receiving the paw and lower leg region of a pet into the pet footwear article  1 . The closing of the frontal opening  104  and the securing of the fastener mechanism  112  ensures a snug fit of the vamp portion  72  and shaft portion  80  of the pet footwear article  1  about the paw and lower leg region of the pet. 
     In one example exemplary embodiment, the first subset of elastic bands that are located on the shaft portion  80  each extends from the first frontal edge  88  of the frontal portion along the circumference (ex: around the sides and back of the shaft portion) to reach the second frontal edge  96 . Referring now to  FIG. 7 , therein illustrated is a blank for forming the upper  16 . Pattern lines  120  indicate where elastic bands  56  are to be sewn onto the inner surface of the upper  16 . It will be appreciated that 7 parallel lines  120  extending from first front edge  88  to second frontal edge  96  represent where elastic bands  56  of the first subset are to be sewn. 
     Where the shaft portion  80  includes the frontal opening  104 , the second subset of one or more elastic bands  56  extend from a lower end  128  of the frontal opening  104  of the shaft portion  80  to the sole  8  of the pet footwear article  1 . The elastic bands of the second subset can include two elastic bands  56  each extending downwardly from the lower end  128  of the frontal opening  104  towards either sides (i.e. left and right sides) of the sole  8 . Referring back to  FIG. 7 , a first diagonally oriented pattern line  136   a  indicates where a first of the elastic bands of the second subset is to be sewn and a second diagonally oriented pattern line  136   b  indicates where a second of the elastic bands of the second subset is to be sewn. 
     According to various exemplary embodiments, and as illustrated herein, the pet footwear article  1  further includes a securing member  144  located at an intermediate heightwise position along the height of the shaft portion  8  of the upper. The securing member  144  is configured to wrap around the circumference of the tubular shape of the shaft portion  80  to fasten onto itself. In the illustrated example, the securing member  144  is an elongated strap having a first hook portion  148  that extends into a second loop portion  152 . In use, the strap  144  is wrapped around the shaft portion  80  whereby the second loop portion  152  secures onto the first hook portion  148 . The amount of overlapping of the hook portion  148  and loop portion  152  determines the effective circumference of the securing member  144  and thereby the fit of the strap around the lower leg region of the pet received within the shaft portion  80 . 
     According to various exemplary embodiments, the height of the shaft portion  80  can optionally be adjusted to improve the fit of the pet footwear article  1  for a given pet. The height of the shaft portion  80  can be adjusted by cutting a top portion of the shaft portion  80  near the top edge  24 . It will be appreciated the height of shaft portion  80  can be adjusted to any height between i) the height of the shaft portion  80  of the pet footwear article  1  as manufactured and sold and ii) the height of the securing member  144 , by making the cut at the desired height. Accordingly, the fabric forming the shaft portion  80  is selected to permit the cutting using a standard cutting tool (ex: household scissors). The fabric can be cut without fraying or ripping. More generally, the finish of the top edge  24  of the upper  16  prior to the cutting (i.e. as manufactured and sold) is substantially the same as the finish of the new top edge of the upper  16  after the cutting to adjust the height. However, it will be understood that in other embodiments the pet footwear article  1  is ready for use as manufacturer and is not intended to be adjustable from cutting of the shaft portion  80 . 
     According to a method for causing a pet to wear the pet footwear article  1 , one or more units of the pet footwear article  1  as described herein is provided. Typically, four units will be used (ex: 1 for each paw of a dog), but other number of units can also be used (ex: 2 units for front paws only or hind paws only). The pet footwear article  1  can be available in different sizes and the size appropriate for the given pet is selected. For example, the appropriate size can be determined by selecting a size of the footwear article  1  that has a vamp portion  72  and sole  8  that provides the closest match to the paw size of the given animal. 
     Where necessary, the height of the shaft portion  80  of the upper  16  can be adjusted by cutting a top portion of the shaft portion  80 . The height of the cut can be selected based on the length of the leg of the pet. It will be appreciated that this cut can be effective for providing a better fit of the footwear article  1  to the given pet. It will be appreciated that different breeds of pets (ex: dogs) can have similar paw sizes but different leg lengths, thereby requiring the adjustment of the height of the pet footwear article  1 . 
     The method further includes unfastening the fastener mechanism  112  to cause opening of the frontal opening  104  of the shaft portion  80 . The paw of the pet is inserted through the clearance provided by the top opening  32  and the frontal opening  104  so that the paw is supported on the sole  8 . After inserting the paw, the shaft portion  80  is wrapped around the lower leg region of the pet and the fastener mechanism  112  is fastened to cause closing of the frontal opening  104  of the shaft portion  80 . The securing member  144  can also be fastened according to the size of the lower leg region of the pet. 
     It will be appreciated that closing the fastener mechanism  112  can cause the elastic bands to extend into their stretched state about the paw and lower leg region of the pet, thereby to provide a compressive force on the paw and the leg. This stretching can promote a snug fit of the vamp portion  72  about the paw of the pet (from stretching of the second subset of one or more elastic bands  56 ) and a snug fit of the shaft portion about the lower leg region (from stretching of the first subset of elastic bands  56 ). 
     While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to be illustrative and non-limiting and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.