TO FACILITATE THE INSERTION OF A FOOT INTO FOOTWEAR

This invention relates to a slider device to facilitate the insertion of a foot into footwear by reducing friction between the foot covering and the inner surface of the footwear concerned.

Certain types of footwear present problems to the wearer as they are difficult to put on, for example ski boots, climbing boots, riding boots and some other forms of footwear. Ski boots present a particular problem because, when fastened, they are intended to provide a tight fit but, even when unfastened, can create problems as the foot is inserted. Similarly, problems exist with climbing boots, especially when used at high altitudes and the boots have become very cold or frozen, it has been known for altitude climbers to take a considerable time to get boots on high altitude camps or after a bivouac. Similar problems can also arise with riding boots which are often a tight fit around the upper part of the foot and the ankle.

The present invention is intended to provide a simple, low-cost slider device which will enable footwear of the kind described above to be more easily fitted.

According to the present invention a slider device to facilitate the insertion of a foot into footwear by reducing friction between the foot covering and the inner surface of the footwear concerned comprises two facing sheets of flexible material the opposing faces of which have a low co-efficient of friction when engaging each other, one end of each sheet being joined to the other and a flexible removal element connected to the sheets adjacent to the joined ends and passing between the sheets and extending outside their outer edges.

The device is easy to use; it is merely placed into the opening of, for example a ski boot, with the flexible removable element extending out of the boot. The user then places his/her foot on the two facing sheets and pushes into the boot, the sheet tends to wrap around the foot, as pushed into the boot, and, due to the low co-efficient of friction between the sheets, the foot can be pushed further into the boot without difficulty and without the friction usually encountered between the foot covering and the inner surface of the boot. The slider device is then easily removed merely by pulling on the flexible removable element which withdraws the device from between the foot and the boot so that it can be easily pulled out of the top entrance of the boot.

In a preferred embodiment the facing surfaces of the sheets are silicone and the sheet can conveniently be made from a silicone coated polypropylene.

The flexible removal element can be a tape, which can, for example, be made of polypropylene.

The facing sheets can form the opposed sides of a bag with an open top from which the flexible element is long enough to project.

With this arrangement the removal element can also be made long enough to act to close the end of the bag. With this arrangement the bag can be provided with a loop at or adjacent the open end and through which the removal element can be threaded to close the bag.

The bag can be large enough to carry accessories, i.e. gloves, goggles, hats or other small articles of clothing.

In one preferred arrangement the two facing sheets of flexible material can be made from a single sheet of material which is folded over to form the joined ends of the sheets and the removal element can be secured within or adjacent the fold.

In another convenient arrangement the bag can be formed from a single sheet of material which is folded over to form one side edge of the bag, the sheets being connected to each other to form the bottom and the other side of the bag, and the removal element being attached within the bag at the bottom join. The invention can be performed in various ways and two embodiments will now describe by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is isometric diagrammatic view of a first embodiment of the sliding device according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows the construction shown in Fig. 1 folded over to its operative position and ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment in which the facing sheets form the opposed side of a bag.

Fig. 4 shows the bag shown in Fig. 3 with the top closed.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a ski boot with the slider device according to the invention in position ready for use.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing how the wearer's foot can be inserted into the boot.

Fig. 7 shows the wearer's foot within the boot but with the sliding device still in position, and,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to figures 5, 6 and 7 with the slider device in the process of being withdrawn.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the slider device according to the invention can be used to facilitate the insertion of a foot into footwear, in this case, a ski boot, by reducing friction between the foot covering, for example, the wearer's sock and the inner surface of the boot concerned.

Invention comprises a rectangular sheet 1 of silicone coated polypropylene which can be about 35 cm wide and about 125 centimeters long. The sheet can be folded about half way along the line indicated by chain lines 2 so that it is in the form shown in Fig. 2. A flexible removal element in the form of a flexible tape 3 made for example from polypropylene is attached to one side of the sheet at a point indicated by reference numeral 4 by stitching or other means. The end of 5 of the tape extends beyond the end of the sheet 1. When the sheet is folded to the position shown in Fig. 2 with the removal element 3 is between the sheets. Due to the nature of the silicone coated polypropylene the opposing faces (indicated by reference numerals 6 and 7) have a low co-efficient of friction when engaging each other.

The method of use is described with regard to Figs. 5 to 8.

Figs. 3 and 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention and the slider device is again made from a single rectangular sheet of polypropylene which can have a length of about 70cm and a wide of about 62cm. In this construction the sheet is again folded over but in this case to form a bag 1 1 the side edge opposite the fold being connected by stitching 12 and a sheets being fitted to each other to form the bottom by stitching 13. A removal element 14 similar to the removal element described with regard to Figs. 1 and 2 is again provided and stitched into the bottom seam 13.

The open end of the bag is indicated by reference numeral 15 and a loop 16 of polypropylene tape is stitched into the stitching 12 towards the open end of the bag. The free end of the removal element 14 is also provided with a stitched loop 17.

The bag 11 can be large enough to carry accessories, for example, gloves, goggles, hats, or other small articles of clothing or personal effects and it can be closed at its open end by wrapping the removal element 14 around the neck of the bag and passing through the loop 16 as shown in Fig. 4.

In an alternative construction (not shown) the dimensions of the bag could be reduced so it is, for example, more suitable for use by children. In the construction as shown in Figures 3 and 4 the length of the removal element can be about 80cm and it could be made from polypropylene tape of about 25mm. In a smaller size the finished length of the removal element could be about 50cm and again of the same width.

The length of the smaller size bag could, for example, be about 30cm and it could be provided with a second loop 16 on the other side of the bag so that it could be attached to the wearer's belt.

Figures 5 to 8 show how the slide device according to the invention is used to facilitate the insertion of a user's foot into, for example, a ski boot 20. The inner side areas of the boot are indicated by reference numeral 21 and the lower internal area by reference numeral 22. The upper opening of the boot 23 leads downwards in the usual way to the ankle area 24.

Figures 5 to 8 show the slider device in the form of a bag which is first placed over the boot entrance 23 and the closed end of the bag is pushed down into the ankle area and towards the lower surface 22 as shown in Fig. 5. The flexible removal element 14 extends and part of the bag 1 1 extend out of the upper opening 23 of the boot.

Figure 6 shows how the users' foot 26 is placed over the inserted bag 1 1 and is then pushed into the boot as shown in Fig. 7. As the users foot descends into the boot the opposed surfaces of the bag slide and provide a reduced friction between the inner side surfaces of the boot and the users foot so that the foot slides easily into the boot with the bag trapped between the inner surfaces of the boot and around the users ankle.

Figure 8 shows how the bag 1 1 is removed from the boot by merely pulling upwards on the removal element 4 in the direction shown by the arrow 27. As when inserting the foot into the boot the opposed surfaces have low coefficient of friction when engaging each other and allows the bag to be easily released and slide out through the very small available space around the wearers ankle and leg. The loop 17 is in assistance to pull the bag out.

The bag can now be used in the manner shown in Fig. 4 to store or carry small objects, for example, goggles, sunglasses or other small items and can be closed by wrapping the element 14 around the neck of the bag by passing it through the loop 16. Alternatively the device can be folded into a very small size and stored in the wearer's pocket or any other convenient space.

The construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is used in the same way as the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, that is the foot is placed in the boot and because of the opposing faces of low co-efficient of friction material it allows the foot to slide into the narrow confines of the boot can be removed in a similar manner.

It will be appreciated that because the flexible removal element is attached to the lower end of the bag or lower end of the folded sheets that it pulls the sheet not from the end which is protruding on the top of the boot but from an area beneath the wearer's foot. If necessary, the sheet can turn inside out as they are removed.

The invention provides a simple and easily used device, which can be readily stored or, as described as above, used as a bag for holding other objects.