Abstract:
Disclosed is canine footwear with features making the footwear suitable for use with canine suspenders. The disclosure also describes multiple features or variations for a canine footwear guide device that makes it easier for attaching both the canine footwear intended for use with suspenders as well as attaching all other footwear whether being used with suspenders or not being used with suspenders.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to co-pending provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/673,975 filed on Jul. 20, 2012, and entitled “Canine Footwear for Canine Suspenders and Canine Footwear Paw Insertion Guide,” the contents of which are fully incorporated herein for all purposes. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    This disclosure relates to canine footwear and accessories used to facilitate putting animal footwear onto an animal&#39;s paw. More particularly the present disclosure relates to a footwear style and type intended for easy placement on the animal paw and leg. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Canine footwear is becoming increasingly popular. Canine footwear serves multiple purposes in protecting canine paws. However, canine footwear has two problems which discourage pet owners from using this paw protective product. One problem is the difficulty of putting the canine paw and leg into the opening of the footwear, the time required, and maintaining enough control over the footwear to be able to pull it completely onto the canine paw and leg. The second problem has been that canine footwear is extremely difficult to keep in place on the dog&#39;s foot. 
         [0004]    The second problem has been solved recently with the development of canine suspenders that hold the footwear in place. However, the suspenders have placed greater urgency on the first problem and have created a third problem. 
         [0005]    The third problem is that canine footwear has been focused on designs and means intended to keep the footwear on the leg in the absence of suspenders. This means ankle openings have been kept tight. Velcro and various buckle straps are there to tighten the footwear grip. This creates the first problem. This leads to the need for footwear that does not have all these straps, clamps and tight fittings. It leads to the need for footwear designed for use with canine footwear suspenders. At least one solution is presented in this disclosure. A preferred footwear concept eliminates all the tourniquet like straps for holding footwear in place and replaces them with highly resilient and wide elastic ankle bands. In general, dogs prefer footwear that has a flexible rubberized bottom and flexible fabric for the body of the footwear, something more like a sock. This type of footwear for use with suspenders is also intended for use with a device that is inserted in the top of the sock to hold the sock open and in place long enough to make it convenient, simple and easy to slip each squirming paw into an otherwise floppy piece of fabric footwear. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, it is an objective of this disclosure to provide a style of canine footwear for use both with canine footwear suspenders and with a canine footwear paw insertion guide. 
         [0007]    It is also an objective of this disclosure to provide multiple variations of an open ended canine footwear paw insertion guide that will make it convenient, easy and fast for pet owners to use canine footwear on the paws of their pets. 
         [0008]    These and other objectives are achieved by providing an insertion guide that can be used to hold the top end of canine footwear, socks, or booties, open, steadfast, and convenient for simple, easy, and fast insertion of each paw into each piece of footwear. 
         [0009]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view of one embodiment of the canine footwear of the present disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an opposite side elevational view of the canine footwear of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the canine footwear of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of an additional embodiment of the canine footwear of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the canine footwear of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a top plan view of an additional embodiment of a paw insertion guide in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the paw insertion guide of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the paw insertion guide of  FIG. 6 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 8A  is a sectional view taken along line  8 A- 8 A of  FIG. 8   
           [0019]      FIG. 8B  is a sectional view taken along line  8 B- 8 B of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 8C  is a sectional view taken along line  8 C- 8 C of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 8D  is a sectional view taken along line  8 C- 8 D of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of an additional embodiment of the paw insertion guide in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0023]      FIG. 9A  is a sectional view taken along line  9 A- 9 A of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 9B  is an alternative sectional view taken along line  9 B- 9 B of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 9C  is an alternative sectional view taken along line  9 C- 9 C of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of the paw insertion guide of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the paw insertion guide of the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 11A  is a sectional view taken along line  11 A- 11 A of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 11B  is an alternative sectional view taken along line  11 B- 11 B of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0030]      FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of the paw insertion guide of  FIG. 11 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 13  is a top plan view of an alternative paw insertion guide of the present invention. 
           [0032]      FIG. 13A  is a sectional view taken along line  13 A- 13 A of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 14  is a side elevational view of the paw insertion guide of  FIG. 13 . 
           [0034]      FIG. 14A  is a detailed view taken from  FIG. 14 . 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of an additional embodiment of the canine footwear of the present disclosure. 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  is an exploded view of the canine footwear of  FIG. 15 . 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  is a top plan view of the canine footwear of  FIG. 15 . 
           [0038]      FIG. 18  is a side elevational view of the insertion guide positioned within associated footwear. 
       
    
    
       [0039]    Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0040]    The generalized objective of this patent is to create canine footwear that is easier to use with a Universal Canine Footwear Suspenders and to disclose a device that makes it easier and faster to put that footwear onto a canine paw. Since there are so many variations of canine footwear it becomes essential to offer many variations on this basic device. 
       Embodiment 1 
     FIG.  1   
       [0041]      FIG. 1  illustrates a basic sock style of canine footwear  20  for use with the canine footwear guide and canine suspenders. The body  22  of the sock is any fabric from a fishnet mesh to light nylon, cotton, synthetic fabrics, water proof or heavy insulation. The bottom or sole  24  is a rubberized durable material that resists damage to the bottom of a canine paw. The essential features are the lack of the usual straps, buckles, clamps, etc., that are intended to hold canine footwear in place in the absence of suspenders. The broad elastic ankle band  26  has a Velcro inside liner or similar friction material. The stretchable ankle band and inside friction liner are intended to readily secure this sock footwear to the insertion guide disclosed herein. There is a permanently attached elastic suspender leg strap. 
       Embodiment 2 
     FIGS.  2 - 3   
       [0042]      FIG. 2  illustrates a slightly heavier more rigid, more boot-like, more insulated style canine footwear  30 . Both the left and right sides of this boot has an opening slit  32  from top of ankle to near the bottom sole. This opening is backed up with a fabric liner  34 . The opening is closed with a zipper  36  or Velcro overlay. The zipper or Velcro would allow the boot  30  to provide a secure snug fit, but would not be tightly secured around the leg. When the boot  30  is fitted onto a canine paw either one or both of the side slits  32  may be open. Whether one open slot or both open slots are required for fitting the footwear is immaterial. The boot must still have two side slots  32 . At least one slot  32  must be used on one side for one side of the canine, and an opposite side slot must be used on the other side for the other side of the canine. This boot also has at least one elastic canine footwear suspenders leg strap  38 . 
       Embodiment 3 
     FIGS.  4 - 5   
       [0043]      FIGS. 4-5  illustrate an additional embodiment of the footwear. This footwear  40  is the same in almost as respects as the embodiment of  FIGS. 2-3 . As in the preceding embodiment, slots  42  are provided on both sides of footwear  40 . However, instead of a fabric liner, an elastic liner  44  is provided. This elastic liner  44 , has an oval shape and is intended to keep the opening  46  opened while the canine paw is inserted into the footwear  40 . 
       Embodiment 4 
     FIGS.  6 - 8   
       [0044]      FIGS. 6-8  disclose a paw insertion guide  50 . This embodiment is an open ended U-shaped insertion guide  50  for inserting an animal paw into associated footwear. The basic paw guide  50  has three components. A retainer  52  which holds the paw guide in position, a guide chute  54  that guides the paw into the footwear, and an external funnel  56  that gathers the paw together so it slides easily into the footwear. 
         [0045]    The guide  50  includes a center portion  52 , or retainer, which is inserted into the top opening of an associated the footwear, which may be a shoe, sock or booty. The footwear can be constructed as noted in previous embodiments. In any event, insertion guide  50  assumes footwear with an elastic ankle band as described in connection with the prior embodiments. The elastic of the footwear holds the retainer  52  in place. The paw guide and slide chute  54  inserts down the leg of the footwear to as far as the shoe bottom. This chute  54  may be straight or curved depending on whether it is intended to be inserted into the front, back, or side of the elastic ankle band. 
         [0046]    Above the retainer  52  is a U-shaped paw funnel  56  that is intended to gather the toes, nails, fur, and dew claw of each paw together for easy and comfortable insertion into the footwear. The insertion guide  50  can thereafter be pulled out of the footwear by any convenient means such as the grasping the U-shaped paw funnel  56  or an attached tether (not shown). 
         [0047]    The basic shape of the retainer  52  is a semi-circle with a short extension at the ends to accommodate larger legs. By leaving one side of the retainer  52  open the paw insertion guide  50  can be removed from the leg even with the footwear suspenders attached.  FIGS. 8A-8D  illustrate that the various components of the insertion guide  50  all have an opened U-shaped configuration. Namely, the funnel  56 , center portion  52 , and slide chute  54  have an opened forward end that permits the insertion guide  50  to be easily removed from the footwear once the animal paw has been successfully inserted. 
       Embodiment 5 
     FIGS.  9 - 10   
       [0048]      FIGS. 9-10  illustrate an additional embodiment of a paw insertion guide  60 . Guide  60  can be inserted at the front of the footwear. It includes a U-shaped body  62  with opposing sides and a central opening  64 . During insertion, front of the paw is directed down by an extension  66  positioned at the base of body  62 . As such, guide  60  can be inserted at the back of the footwear depending on which is preferred by the user. Looking down on the top view of  FIG. 9 , body  62  forms an open ended U-Shape that allows both the animal leg and the associated suspenders to be removed through opening  64 . The width, height or depth, cross section and surface finish/texture of guide  60  may have numerous variations depending mostly on the wide range of animal footwear available. Guide  60  preferably includes a handle  68  for removing the guide  60  from the footwear after insertion. A tether cord may be attached to and the other end tied to an object such as a wrist bracelet for convenience. 
         [0049]    The canine footwear guide  50  is used by inserting the tips  72  of body  62  inside the ankle opening of the footwear. The footwear preferably has an elastic opening that is then stretched over body  62 . Tips  72  may be pointed to facilitate this. Likewise, the cross section of body  62  can be chosen to assist body  62  being positioned within the elastic opening of the footwear. These cross sections can be angled ( FIG. 9B ) or curved ( FIGS. 9A  or  9 C). The outer surface of body  62  may have a rough texture, a Velcro surface, or, a cross section shape that will hold the guide  60  in place in the footwear while the paw and leg are inserted through the opening  64 . Extension  66  may assist in guiding the paw into the footwear. Once inserted, guide  5  can be removed by pulling handle  68 . 
       Embodiment 6 
     FIGS.  11 - 12   
       [0050]    The insertion guide of  FIGS. 11-12  is the same in most respects as the prior embodiment. However, this guide  70  has a wider body  72  and a wider front opening  74 . Additionally, a number of clips or hooks  76  spaced along the body  72 . One clip  76  has an inverted U-shape ( FIG. 11B ) while another embodiment of the clip  76  as an R-shaped provide ( FIG. 11A ). In either event, the clips  76  can be secured to the footwear opening to help hold the guide  70  as the animal&#39;s paw is being inserted to the footwear. 
       Embodiment 7 
     FIGS.  13 - 14   
       [0051]    Still yet a further embodiment of the insertion guide is disclosed in  FIGS. 13-14 . This embodiment is identical in most respect as the prior embodiment. However, this guide  80  includes a body  82  with a downwardly extending side wall  84 . This side wall  84  may be formed from a series of ridges  86 . These ridges  86  help hold the elastic ankle of the footwear in place during paw insertion. 
       Embodiment 8 
     FIGS.  15 - 17   
       [0052]      FIG. 15  illustrates a basic generalized shoe or sock style of canine footwear  90  for use with the canine footwear guide and canine suspenders. The body of the shoe or sock  92  is any fabric from a fishnet mesh to light nylon, cotton, synthetic fabrics, water proof or heavy insulation depending on warm or cold weather use and depending on indoor or outdoor use. The bottom or sole  94  is a rubberized durable flexible material such as Lexan that resists damage to the bottom of a canine paw. The bottom of this sock or shoe includes a liner  96  a soft, velvety, fleece, or moldable filling material in the toes. The mesh  98  overlaps the edges of liner  96 . The molded toe guard anchor frame  102  has a rim around the back and side of the shoe or sock to seal the body fabric  98  to the inside liner material  96  and resists wear from the canine paw. The essential features are the lack of the usual straps, buckles, zippers, clamps, etc., that are intended to hold canine footwear in place in the absence of suspenders. The broad elastic ankle band  104  attaches to the body fabric  98 , prevents snow, sand, soil and other particles from entering shoe or sock and is attached to the canine footwear suspenders. The stretchable ankle band and its inside friction liner are intended to readily secure this sock footwear to the insertion guide disclosed herein. 
         [0053]      FIG. 18  illustrates the insertion guide  50  in position within footwear  30 . It will be understood that any of the insertion guides described herein ( 50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80 ) can be used in connection with any of the footwear described herein ( 20 ,  30 ,  40 , or  90 ). Moreover, the insertion guides ( 50 ,  60 ,  70 ,  80 ) can also be used with other conventional animal footwear. With reference again to  FIG. 18 , slide chute  54  is not visible as it has been inserted into the top of footwear  30 . Specifically, retainer  52  is received within the top elastic band around the upper periphery of the footwear. The animal paw can then be easily inserted into the shoe with the aid of funnel  56  and chute  54 . The guide  50  can thereafter be easily removed from the footwear  30 . 
         [0054]    Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above descriptions of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.