Patent Publication Number: US-2015079353-A1

Title: Thermal foot cover

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to a thermal foot cover that can be worn over a shoe-encased or a boot-encased foot, or can be worn in place of a shoe or a boot to protect the wearer&#39;s foot from the effects of cold temperatures. 
     The cooling of the extremities, particularly the feet, has long been recognized as a serious deterrent to performing activities in cold temperatures and various proposals have been advanced for dealing with this problem. Most previous footwear, which has been designed for use in cold weather, has utilized hard and heavy materials on the sole and sometimes on the uppers as well. For instance, hard rubber soles are most commonly used for winter boots and overboots. Since such footwear is generally constructed with rigid sole structures, carrying and storing the footwear can be difficult. 
     Also, previous footwear, designed for use in cold weather, has utilized conventional insulating materials, such as goose down, stiff insulating foam, or synthetic fibers to reduce the loss of heat from the wearer&#39;s foot. While these insulating materials attempt to minimize the heat loss from the wearer&#39;s foot, none of these insulating materials reflects the wearer&#39;s body heat back inside the footwear. Also, these insulating materials are not readily washable. Another disadvantage of these insulating materials is that they increase the bulk of the footwear, which makes the footwear more difficult to carry and store. 
     A foot cover that is easy to manufacture, is easy to use, is lightweight, is easy to carry, is easy to store, is washable, and is highly effective at keeping the wearer&#39;s feet warm would be of considerable value. 
     SUMMARY 
     Instead of using conventional insulating materials to slow the loss of body heat that occurs when the wearer&#39;s feet are exposed to a cold temperature, the invention provides an insulation system that reflects the wearer&#39;s body heat back inside the thermal foot cover to keep the wearer&#39;s feet warm for extended periods, even when the temperature on the outside of the thermal foot cover is very cold. The invention is flexible, lightweight, easy to carry, easy to store, and readily washable due to the material used in the construction of the thermal foot cover. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, a thermal foot cover comprises an upper cover portion, a bottom panel, a cavity enlargement means, and a means for fastening the cavity enlargement means. The upper cover portion is comprised of an outer covering, a radiant barrier, and an inner covering. The radiant barrier comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier. The radiant barrier provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. The radiant barrier reflects the heat from the wearer&#39;s foot back inside the thermal foot cover to keep the wearer&#39;s foot warm even when temperatures on the outside of the thermal foot cover are very cold. 
     The bottom panel is attached to the upper cover portion to form the bottom of the thermal foot cover. The combination of the upper cover portion and the bottom panel define a cavity for receiving a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or only the wearer&#39;s foot inside the thermal foot cover. The bottom panel comprises an outer covering, a radiant bubble barrier, and an inner covering. The radiant bubble barrier comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil and two sheets of polymeric material with a plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets. The two polymeric sheets with the plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil. The air trapped between the two sheets of polymeric material and the two sheets of aluminum foil in the radiant bubble barrier, used in the bottom panel, enhance the insulating effectiveness of the bottom panel. The radiant bubble barrier also provides padding to the bottom panel to increase the comfort of wearing the thermal foot cover. The radiant bubble barrier provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. 
     The cavity enlargement means and the means for fastening the cavity enlargement means are attached to the upper cover portion such that they cooperate with the upper cover portion to provide a larger opening for receiving a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot, or only the wearer&#39;s foot inside the thermal foot cover and to close up the opening, once the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot is received inside the cavity of the thermal foot cover, to prevent the wearer&#39;s body heat from escaping from the thermal foot cover. 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that reflects the wearer&#39;s body heat back inside the thermal foot cover to increase the effectiveness of keeping the wearer&#39;s feet warm when encased by the thermal foot cover. Reflecting the wearer&#39;s heat back into the thermal foot cover is accomplished in a novel way by using a radiant barrier or a combination of a radiant barrier and a radiant bubble barrier instead of using normal insulating materials. 
     It is the object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that is easy to manufacture and can be manufactured at a low cost. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that is of a one-piece design that is effective and is simple to use. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that is lightweight and can be stored in a small space and is easy to carry. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that accommodates a wide range of footwear sizes and arrangements. 
     It is still another object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that has a bottom panel exterior coating that provides a non-slip surface on the bottom of the thermal foot cover. 
     It is yet another object of the invention to provide a thermal foot cover that has a separate sole attached to the bottom panel, to the lower part of the first side panel, and to the lower part of the second side panel to allow the wearer to walk over varied terrain without damaging the thermal foot cover. 
     Still yet, another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved thermal foot cover which provides some of the advantages found in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with respect to the following description and accompanying drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an opposite side perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom perspective view of the invention shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the invention taken along the line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a sectional view of the invention taken along the line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a sectional view of the invention taken along the line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 11  is an isometric perspective sectional view of the invention taken from the area shown on  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11A  is an isometric perspective sectional view of the ankle portion of the invention taken from the area shown on  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 12  is an isometric perspective sectional view of the invention taken from the area shown on  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 13  is an isometric perspective bottom view of a second embodiment of the invention comprising a bottom panel exterior coating on the exterior of the bottom panel; 
         FIG. 14  is a sectional view of the second embodiment of the invention taken along the line  14 - 14  of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is an isometric perspective bottom view of a third embodiment of the invention comprising a separate sole attached to the bottom panel, the lower part of the first side panel, and the lower part of the second side panel; 
         FIG. 16  is a sectional view of the third embodiment of the invention taken along the line  16 - 16  of  FIG. 15 ; 
         FIG. 17  is a side view of the first side panel shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of the second side panel shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a side view of the first top panel shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 20  is a side view of the second top panel shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the figures of the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate like elements throughout the several views, particularly to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a thermal foot cover  10  for receiving a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot, or a wearer&#39;s foot in order to keep the wearer&#39;s foot warm when the wearer is subjected to cold temperatures. As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 7 , the thermal foot cover  10  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a bottom panel  20 , defining a cavity  13  for receiving a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot. An opening  14  allows insertion of the shoe-encased or a boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot inside the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises an outer covering  56  and, in at least a portion of the upper cover portion  11 , a radiant barrier  60 . The bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56  only. The outer covering  56  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The radiant barrier  60 , used in at least a portion of the upper cover portion  11 , is attached to the inside of the outer covering  56 . 
     The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . The preferred radiant barrier  60  provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. The radiant barrier  60  reflects the heat from a wearer&#39;s foot back inside the thermal foot cover  10  to keep the wearer&#39;s foot warm even when temperatures on the outside of the thermal foot cover  10  are very cold. 
     In another embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10 , the upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises an outer covering  56  only. The bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56  and a radiant barrier. The radiant barrier  60 , used in the bottom panel  20 , is attached to the inside of the outer covering  56 . The outer covering  56  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. 
     The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . 
     In another embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10 , the thermal foot cover  10  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a bottom panel  20 . The upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a radiant barrier  60 . The bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56  and a radiant barrier  60 . The outer covering  56  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The radiant barrier used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is attached to the inside of the outer covering  56 . The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . 
     In another embodiment, the thermal foot cover  10  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a bottom panel  20 . The upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises a radiant barrier  60  sandwiched between an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64 . The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The radiant barrier  60  used in the upper portion  11  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . 
     In another embodiment, the thermal foot cover  10  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a bottom panel  20 . The upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises a radiant barrier  60  sandwiched between an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The bottom panel  20  comprises a radiant barrier  60  sandwiched between an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  as shown in  FIG. 11 . The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The radiant barrier  60  used in the upper portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . 
     In yet another embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10 , the thermal foot cover  10  comprises an upper cover portion  11  and a bottom panel  20 . The upper cover portion  11  is attached to the bottom panel  20  at attachment seam  15  of  FIG. 7  by sewing or gluing. The upper cover portion  11  comprises a radiant bubble barrier  68  sandwiched between an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The bottom panel  20  comprises a radiant bubble barrier  68  sandwiched between an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  as shown in  FIG. 12 . The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the upper cover portion  11  and the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The radiant bubble barrier  68  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material combined with a sheet of bubble-pack type material. The preferred radiant bubble barrier  68  comprises two sheets of thin aluminum foil and two sheets of polymeric material with a plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets. The two polymeric sheets with the plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil. The radiant bubble barrier  68  traps air between the two aluminum sheets to further enhance the insulating effectiveness of the thermal foot cover  10 . The radiant bubble barrier  68  also provides padding to the thermal foot cover  10  to increase the comfort of wearing the thermal foot cover  10 . The radiant bubble barrier  68  provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. 
     In another embodiment, the thermal foot cover  10 , as described in the embodiments above, would further comprise a cavity enlargement means  30  comprising a strap  32  which releases and secures a first top panel  24  of the upper cover portion  11  to a second top panel  28  of the upper cover portion  11  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The cavity enlargement means  30  increases the size of the cavity  13  to facilitate insertion of a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal foot cover  10 , and decreases the size of the cavity  13 , once insertion is completed, to provide a tight, secure fit around the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot, or the wearer&#39;s foot and ankle, when the cavity enlargement means  30  is secured, to help keep the wearer&#39;s body heat from escaping out of the top of the thermal foot cover  10 . In another embodiment, the cavity enlargement means  30  comprises an elastic material in the ankle portion of the upper cover portion  11 , shown generally as  17 . An example of an elastic material in the ankle portion  17  is shown in  FIG. 11A . As shown in  FIG. 11A , the elastic threads  65  cause the upper cover portion  11  to have a corrugated or gathering effect in the area of the ankle portion  17 . The elastic threads  65  allow the ankle portion  17  to expand which enlarges the opening  14  to accommodate the insertion of the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal boot cover  10 . Once the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot is received inside the thermal boot cover  10 , the elastic threads  65  contract which causes the ankle portion  17  of the upper cover portion  11  to secure the thermal foot cover  10  to the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot and ankle of the wearer to minimize the loss of the wearer&#39;s body heat from the top of the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 through 7 , another embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10  comprises a first side panel  12 , a second side panel  16 , a bottom panel  20 , a first top panel  24 , a second top panel  28 , a trim element  52 , a means for fastening the top panels  42 , a cavity enlargement means  30 , and a means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34 . As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  are attached together, preferably by sewing these pieces together, to form the upper cover portion  11  of the thermal foot cover  10 . As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  are comprised of an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  64 . The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . The radiant barrier&#39;  60  provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. The radiant barrier  60  reflects the heat from a wearer&#39;s foot back inside the thermal foot cover  10  to keep the wearer&#39;s foot warm even when temperatures on the outside of the thermal foot cover  10  are very cold. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the thermal foot cover  10  can have a trim element  52  that is attached to edges of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28 . The trim element  52  covers the exposed edges of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  to provide an improved appearance for the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 , the bottom panel  20  is attached to the first side panel  12  and the second side panel  16 , preferably by sewing these pieces together, to form the bottom of the thermal foot cover  10 . As shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12 , the bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant bubble barrier  68  and an inner covering  64 . The radiant bubble barrier  68  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material combined with a sheet of bubble-pack type material. The preferred radiant bubble barrier  68  comprises two sheets of thin aluminum foil and two sheets of polymeric material with a plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets. The two polymeric sheets with the plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil. The radiant bubble barrier  68  traps air between the two aluminum sheets to further enhance the insulating effectiveness of the bottom panel  20 . The radiant bubble barrier  68  also provides padding to the bottom panel  20  to increase the comfort of wearing the thermal foot cover  10 . The radiant bubble barrier  68  provides an insulation system that is flexible, lightweight, water-resistant, and washable. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the bottom panel  20  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the cavity enlargement means  30  comprising a strap  32  where one end of the strap  32  is attached to the first side panel  12  and the first top panel  24 , near the top of the thermal foot cover  10 , at the seam where the first side panel  12  and the first top panel  24  are attached together. The strap  32  is of a predetermined length to allow the strap  32  to lay over the top of the first top panel  24 , the second top panel  28 , and part of the second side panel  16 . 
     The means for fastening the top panels  42  and the cavity enlargement means  30 , and the means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34  are used to facilitate the insertion of the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot into the cavity  13  of the thermal foot cover  10  and to provide a tight, secure fit around the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot and ankle when secured to prevent the wearer&#39;s body heat from escaping from the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     To better illustrate the new and unique features of the present invention, the following will provide a detailed description of different embodiments of the invention.  FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10 . In this embodiment, the thermal foot cover  10  comprises a first side panel  12 , a second side panel  16 , a bottom panel  20 , a first top panel  24 , a second top panel  28 , an opening  14 , a trim element  52 , a means for fastening the top panels  42 , a cavity enlargement means  30 , and a means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34 , defining a cavity  13  for receiving a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot. The opening  14  allows the insertion of the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 11 , and  FIG. 17 , the first side panel  12  is substantially L-shaped and generally conforms to the shape of a shoe or a boot with a first side panel top straight edge  78 , a first side panel top curved edge  80 , a first side panel bottom edge  84 , a first side panel front edge  88 , and a first side panel rear edge  92 . The first side panel comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  64 . The outer covering  56  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred outer covering  56  material is a cotton cloth that has been treated to be water-resistant. The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . The inner covering  64  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred inner covering  64  material is a cotton cloth. As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , the outer covering  56  is attached to one side of the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  is attached to the opposite side of the radiant barrier  60 , thereby sandwiching the radiant barrier  60  between the outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64 . The preferred method of attaching the outer covering  56  to the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  to the radiant barrier  60  is by sewing these three pieces together at one time. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  can also be attached to the radiant barrier  60  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 11 , and  FIG. 18 , the second side panel  16  is substantially L-shaped and generally conforms to the shape of a shoe or a boot with a second side panel straight top edge  94 , a second side panel top curved edge  96 , a second side panel bottom edge  100 , a second side panel front edge  104 , and a second side panel rear edge  108 . The second side panel  16  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  64 . The outer covering  56  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred outer covering  56  material is a cotton cloth that has been treated to be water-resistant. The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . The inner covering  64  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred inner covering  64  material is a cotton cloth. As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , the outer covering  56  is attached to one side of the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  is attached to the opposite side of the radiant barrier  60 , thereby sandwiching the radiant barrier  60  between the outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64 . The preferred method of attaching the outer covering  56  to the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  to the radiant barrier  60  is by sewing these three pieces together at one time. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  can also be attached to the radiant barrier  60  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 17 , and  FIG. 18 , the first side panel front edge  88  is attached to the second side panel front edge  104  to form the toe of the thermal foot cover  10 . As shown in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 17 , and  FIG. 18 , the first side panel rear edge  92  is attached to the second side panel rear edge  108  to form the heel of the thermal foot cover  10 . The preferred method of attaching the edges of the second side panel  16  to the edges of the first side panel  12  is by sewing these edges together. The edges of the second side panel  16  can also be attached to the edges of the first side panel  12  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 7 , the bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  60  that is substantially oval in shape. The outer covering  56  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred outer covering  56  material is a cotton cloth that has been treated to be water-resistant. The radiant barrier  60  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material. The preferred radiant barrier  60  comprises two thin sheets of aluminum foil, extruded polymer, and a reinforcing scrim. The extruded polymer and the reinforcing scrim are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil to form the radiant barrier  60 . The inner covering  64  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred inner covering  64  material is a cotton cloth. As shown in  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 11 , the outer covering  56  is attached to one side of the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  is attached to the opposite side of the radiant barrier  60 , thereby sandwiching the radiant barrier  60  between the outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64 . The preferred method of attaching the outer covering  56  to the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  to the radiant barrier  60  is by sewing these three items together at one time. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  can also be attached to the radiant barrier  60  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 12 , another embodiment of the bottom panel  20  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant bubble barrier  68  and an inner covering  64  that is substantially oval in shape. The outer covering  56  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred outer covering  56  material is a cotton cloth that has been treated to be water-resistant. The radiant bubble barrier  68  can be made from a variety of materials such as metal foil, metallized textiles, or metallized flexible polymeric material combined with a sheet of bubble-pack type material. The preferred radiant bubble barrier  68  comprises two sheets of thin aluminum foil and two sheets of polymeric material with a plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets. The two polymeric sheets with the plurality of air bubbles between the polymeric sheets are sandwiched between the two sheets of aluminum foil. The inner covering  64  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred inner covering  64  material is a cotton cloth. As shown in  FIG. 12 , the outer covering  56  is attached to one side of one of the radiant bubble barrier  68  and the inner covering  64  is attached to the opposite side of the radiant bubble barrier  68 , thereby sandwiching the radiant bubble barrier  68  between the outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64 . The preferred method of attaching the outer covering  56  to the radiant bubble barrier  68  and the inner covering  64  to the radiant bubble barrier  68  is by sewing these three pieces together at one time. The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  can also be attached to the radiant bubble barrier  68  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the first side panel bottom edge  84  and the second side panel bottom edge  100  are attached to the edge of the bottom panel  20  at seam  15  to form the bottom of the thermal foot cover  10 . While the preferred method of attaching the edge of the bottom panel  20  to the first side panel bottom edge  84  and to the second side panel bottom edge  100  is by sewing these pieces together, they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 19 , the first top panel  24  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  64  that is substantially rectangular in shape with a first top panel top edge  112 , a first top panel bottom edge  116 , a first top panel front edge  120 , and a first top panel rear edge  124 . The outer covering  56 , the radiant barrier  60 , and the inner covering  64  used in the first top panel  24  and the method of attaching these three pieces are the same as used in the first side panel  12  and the second side panel  16 . As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 17 , and  FIG. 19 , all of the first top panel bottom edge  116  and most of the first top panel front edge  120  are attached to the first side panel top curved edge  80 . As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 19 , a small part of the first top panel front edge  120 , next to the first top panel top edge  112 , is attached to the second side panel top curved edge  96 . While the preferred method of attaching the first top panel bottom edge  116  and the first top panel front edge  120  to the first side panel top curved edge  80  and to the second side panel top curved edge  96  is by sewing these pieces together, they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 , and  FIG. 20 , the second top panel  28  comprises an outer covering  56 , a radiant barrier  60 , and an inner covering  64  that is substantially rectangular in shape with a second top panel bottom edge  128 , a second top panel top edge  132 , a second top panel front edge  136 , and a second top panel rear edge  140 . The outer covering  56 , the radiant barrier  60  and the inner covering  64  used in the second top panel  28  and the method of attaching these pieces are the same as used in the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , and the first top panel  24 . As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 18 , and  FIG. 20 , all of the second top panel bottom edge  128  and most of the second top panel front edge  136  is attached to the second side panel top curved edge  96 . As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 6 , a small part of the second top panel front edge  136 , next to the second top panel top edge  132 , is attached to the first side panel top curved edge  80 . The first top panel bottom edge  116 , the first top panel front edge  120 , the second top panel bottom edge  128 , and the second top panel front edge  136  are attached to the first side panel top curved edge  80  and the second side panel top curved edge  96  such that the first top panel  24  overlaps the second top panel  28  to form the top of the thermal foot cover  10 . While the preferred method of attaching the second top panel bottom edge  128  and the second top panel front edge  136  to the first side panel top curved edge  80  and to the second side panel top curved edge  96  is by sewing these pieces together, they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the thermal foot cover  10  has a trim element  52 . The trim element  52  is a thin sheet of material made from textiles, flexible polymeric material, animal skins, or a combination of these materials in a variety of colors. The preferred trim element  52  material is a cotton cloth that has been treated to be water-resistant, which is similar to the outer covering  56 . The trim element  52  is folded into a U-shape so that the trim element  52  can cover the exposed edges of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  to provide an improved appearance for the thermal foot cover  10 . The trim element  52  is attached to the outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  along the first side panel top straight edge  78 , along the second side panel top straight edge  94 , along the first top panel top edge  112 , along the first top panel rear edge  124 , along the second top panel top edge  132  and along the second top panel rear edge  140 . While the preferred method of attaching the trim element  52  to the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  is by sewing these pieces together, they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 6 , the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  are connected together by a means for fastening the top panels  42 . The means for fastening the top panels  42  cooperates with the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  to enlarge the cavity  13  to facilitate insertion of a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal foot cover  10  and provides a tight, secure fit around the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot by the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  to prevent the loss of the wearer&#39;s body heat. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the means for fastening the top panels  42  comprises a first top panel fastener  44  and a second top panel fastener  48 . The first top panel fastener  44  is attached to the inner covering  64  of the first top panel  24 . The second top panel fastener  48  is attached to the outer covering  56  of the second top panel  28 . The preferred method of attaching the first top panel fastener  44  to the first top panel  24  and of attaching the second top panel fastener  48  to the second top panel  28  is by sewing the fasteners onto the panels. The first top panel fastener  44  and the second top panel fastener  48  can also be attached to the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. The preferred first top fastener  44  and second top panel fastener  48  are VELCRO hooks and loops fasteners which will allow the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  to be held tightly together when the first top panel fastener  44  and the second top panel fastener  48  are fastened, and will allow easy disconnection of the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  to enlarge the cavity  13  to facilitate insertion of a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal foot cover  10  when the first top panel fastener  44  and the second top panel fastener  48  are unfastened. Other means of fastening the top panels  42  include snaps, zippers, and buttons. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the thermal foot cover  10  has a cavity enlargement means  30 . The cavity enlargement means  30  cooperates with the first top panel  24  and the second top panel  28  to enlarge the cavity  13  to facilitate insertion of a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot into the thermal foot cover  10  and provides a tight, secure fit around the shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or the wearer&#39;s foot and ankle when secured. The preferred cavity enlargement means  30  is a strap  32 . The strap  32  comprises an outer covering  56  and an inner covering  64  that is substantially rectangular in shape where the longer sides form the top and bottom of the strap  32  and the shorter sides form the first end and the second end of the strap  32 . The outer covering  56  and the inner covering  64  used in the strap  32  are the same as used in the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28 . The outer covering  56  is attached to the inner covering  64 . While the preferred method of attaching the outer covering  56  to the inner covering  64  is by sewing these two pieces together, they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the first end of the strap  32  is attached to the first side panel  12  and the first top panel  24 , near the top of the thermal foot cover  10 , at the seam where the first side panel top curved edge  80  and the first top panel bottom edge  116  are attached together. The preferred method of attaching the first end of the strap  32  to the first side panel  12  and the first top panel  24  is by sewing these pieces together, but they can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. The strap  32  is of a predetermined length to allow the strap  32  to lay over the first top panel  24 , the second top panel  28 , and part of the second side panel  16 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 8 , a means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34  cooperates with the cavity enlargement means  30  and the second side panel  16  to allow the cavity enlargement means  30  to hold the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  tightly against the ankle of the wearer when the means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34  is engaged. As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , where the cavity enlargement means  30  is a strap  32 , the means for fastening the cavity enlargement means  34  comprises a first strap fastener  36  and a second strap fastener  40 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first strap fastener  36  is attached to the inner covering  64  of the strap  32 , on the second end of the strap  32 . As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 8 , the second strap fastener  40  is attached to the outer covering  56  of the second side panel  16 , near the top of the second side panel  16  and near the seam where the second side panel top curved edge  96  and the second top panel bottom edge  128  are attached. The preferred method of attaching the first strap fastener  36  to the strap  32  and of attaching the second strap fastener  40  to the second side panel  16  is by sewing the fasteners onto the strap  32  and the second side panel  16 . The first strap fastener  36  and the second strap fastener  40  can also be attached by any other conventional means of attachment such as gluing. The preferred first strap fastener  36  and second strap fastener  40  are VELCRO hooks and loops fasteners, which will allow the strap  32  to hold the first top panel  24 , the second top panel  28 , and the second side panel  16  tightly together, when the first strap fastener  36  and the second strap fastener  40  are fastened, so that the thermal foot cover  10  will be closed tightly around the ankle of the wearer to prevent heat loss; and will allow easy separation of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  12 , the first top panel  24 , and the second top panel  28  to enlarge the cavity  13  to receive a shoe-encased or boot-encased foot or a wearer&#39;s foot, when the first strap fastener  36  and the second strap fastener  40  are unfastened. Other means of fastening the cavity enlargement means  34  include shoelaces and eyes, ties, clamps, snaps, zippers, and buttons. 
     An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 14 , which includes the features discussed above with the addition of a bottom panel exterior coating  72  attached to the outer covering  56  of the bottom panel  20 . The bottom panel exterior coating  72  can completely cover the outer covering  56  or can partially cover the outer covering  56  such as comprising a plurality of strips of the bottom panel exterior coating  72  or comprising a plurality of dots of the bottom panel exterior coating  72  attached to the bottom panel  20 . The preferred bottom panel exterior coating  72  is a plurality of small polymeric dots attached to the bottom panel  20 , which will give the thermal foot cover  10  a non-skid bottom to assist with walking while wearing the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     The thermal foot cover  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 12  is not provided with a separate sole. It has been found that a separate sole on the thermal foot cover  10  is not generally necessary in that prolonged walking is not anticipated while the thermal foot cover  10  is being worn. However, as shown in  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16 , this embodiment of the thermal foot cover  10  provides for a sole  72  so that the wearer can walk while wearing the thermal foot cover  10 . The sole  72  is attached to the bottom part of the first side panel  12 , the bottom part of the second side panel  16 , and the bottom panel  20 . The preferred method of attaching the sole  72  to the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , and the bottom panel  20  is by gluing the sole  72  to the outer covering  56  of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16 , and the bottom panel  20 . The sole  72  may also be attached to the outer covering  56  of the first side panel  12 , the second side panel  16  and the bottom panel  20  by any other conventional means of attachment such as sewing. While the sole  72  can be made from any conventional materials, such as animal skins like leather, polymer materials, or fabric, the preferred material for the sole  72  is rubber, similar to the rubber used for the sole of a tennis shoe or an athletic shoe, which will make the sole  72  water-resistant and provide additional insulation for the thermal foot cover  10 . 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the sole  72  replaces the bottom panel  20 . While the sole  72  can be made of animal skins such as animal skins like leather, polymer materials, or fabric, the preferred sole  72  material is rubber similar to the type found in tennis shoes or athletic shoes because of its water-resistant characteristics. 
     The body heat reflecting cloth may be formed by applying a single aluminized coating to the reinforcing scrim. Preferably, the scrim is coated with heated aluminized plastic. This may be accomplished, for example, by pressing the heated aluminized plastic onto the scrim between rollers which apply pressure to the scrim and the coating. The coating material temperature is selected to cause the coating to adhere to the scrim. 
     The scrim may be, but is not necessarily, dimpled. If the scrim is dimpled, the heated aluminized plastic flows into the dimples in the scrim, enhancing the bonding of the coating to the scrim and also at least partially filling the dimples to provide a smoother reflective finish than the uncoated surface of the scrim. If the scrim is not dimpled and dimpling is desirable, the surface of the pressing rollers can be selected to provide the desired dimpling. 
     The scrim strengthens the cloth against tearing, stretching and distortion and the coating provides the radiant barrier. This results in a barrier cloth which is not only thin, lightweight, easily manipulated and thermally efficient, but is also extremely “quiet” and well suited to hunting or other activities in which the wearer desires to minimize the possibility of introducing unnatural sounds into the environment. 
     The finished cloth can be perforated to allow the material to breathe, non-perforated to function as a water barrier and used alone or as the heat reflecting barrier layer of a multi-layered cloth. The coating may be applied to both sides of the scrim so that, however the cloth is applied, there will be a heat reflective barrier on the wearer side of the scrim. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently it is intended to cover such modifications and equivalents.