Field of Invention

The present invention pertains to an implement used in wading through water, more particularly to a wading boot.

Background Art

The inevitability of climate change has recently become more profound than the past decade. One of its manifestations is the increasing intensity of typhoons that cause severe flooding - not to mention the damage brought by surging winds. When metropolitan areas are severely flooded, most passageways and streets have limited access due to high water levels. If it occurs during working hours, some people working in flooded areas tend to take a risk wading through at least knee-high waters along the streets to get home rather than get stranded idly waiting for extended hours. This exposes a person to the risk of contracting diseases such as diarrhea, fungal infections, skin infections, and worst of them all, the fatal leptospirosis.

There are several ways to adapt with flooding brought about by climate change, and one of them is the use of wading implements such as a wading boot. Wading boots have been used by humanity for quite a long time already. They have been used by people working in aquatic resources industries, such as fishermen and aqua-culturists, wherein water levels in the working area could easily go beyond the knees. Typically, wading implements come in one piece, much like a jumper suit from leg to torso, and contain a sturdy boot.

Furthermore, there are other variants of wading boots and one of them is the typical sturdy boot that comes in a two-piece set: one for each leg. These types of wading implements however are not suitable in an urban setting because they are too cumbersome to be carried by a person reporting to work on a daily basis considering that a typical commuting worker does not always bring a huge bag to work. In addition, they also require the user to change his footwear before he can wear the said wading implement. Hence, the user must undergo the unnecessary hassle of taking off the footwear he is currently wearing before putting on the wading implement, and subsequently switch footwear again after using the same. The problem to be solved by the present invention therefore is to provide a wading implement that is lightweight, pliable, and can be worn over the shoes and pants of the user without the hassle of changing footwear. In one embodiment of the present invention, the conceived wading implement essentially contains the following: a sole; a shoe upper that isessentially-tubular-having-a-first-e^

connection is obtained between the shoe upper and the sole, a second end with an opening so as to allow access towards the interior thereof, and a tapered section disposed on at least a portion of the length of the shoe upper proximal to the first end; and a suspender connected to the second end of the elongate shoe upper. Another embodiment of the present invention is a wading implement having a rubber sole essentially containing a first panel and a second panel wherein at least a portion of the first end of the elongate shoe upper is sandwiched in between the first and the second panels of the sole.

A further embodiment of the invention is a wading implement wherein the elongate shoe upper is made of pliable material that is impervious to water. Preferably, the pliable material is essentially a polymer selected from the group consisting of: PVC, polyurethane, rubber, polyethylene like PET or LDPE, polyester, and nylon; or a combination of any of the foregoing. The outer surfaces of the elongate shoe upper may be marked with graphic designs in order to enhance appearance of the wading implement. In another embodiment, the wading implement is provided with a suspender having an elastic section disposed at least a portion along the length thereof. Preferably, the whole length of the suspender is elastic. In a further embodiment thereof, the wading implement is provided with a suspender having a length adjusting means.

The gist of the invention would be elucidated to a person skilled in the art when the ensuing detailed description is evaluated together with the appended drawing and claims.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective of the present invention.

Figure 2 illustrates the manner of using the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

Referring now to Figure 1, the wading implement (10) described herein essentially contains three parts, namely: the sole (100); the elongate shoe upper (200); and the suspender (300). In this embodiment, the sole (100) is made from a lightweight material, preferably rubber such as crepe or other suitable material typically used as sole. The sole (100) is made of two flat panels shaped to the resemblance of a typical shoe. The first panel will be used as an outer sole (110) while the second panel will be the inner sole (120). Both the inner sole (120) and the outer sole (110) are designed to be attached together, sandwiching in between them a portion of the shoe upper (200). Several techniques in attaching rubber together are already known in the art: one is by using adhesives while another is stitching, or by heat welding, or using a combination of any of the foregoing.

The upper (200), is an elongate tubular body (210) adapted to cooperate with the user's leg when the wading implement (10) is used. A first end (220) thereof is contiguously attached to the sole (100) while a second end (230) transversely extends away from the plane of the sole (100). The first end (220) of the elongate shoe upper (100) is sandwiched in between the outer and the inner soles (120, 220). Preferably, such an orientation is so arranged in a manner that the connection between the sole (100) and the upper (200) is impervious to fluids such as flood water. The second end (230) of the upper (200) serves as an opening for the entry and exit of the user's foot. The length of extension of the body (210) is predetermined so that the second end (230) is able to reach the thigh portion of the perceived user. Preferably, the second end (230) of the upper (200) extends through the thigh and terminates proximally to the groin of the user. Since the first end (220) of the upper (200) is connected to the sole (100), it has a shape similar thereto whereby the cross-sectional shape of the first end (220) approximates the shape of the sole (100). Along the body (210) of the upper (200) is a slightly tapered section (221) such that it has a smaller cross-section compared to the first end (220). In other words, the over-all appearance of the upper (200) is somewhat similar to a tubular figure with one flared end. The tapered section (221) is adapted to accommodate the foot of the user wearing the invention described herein. It also provides a hitching mechanism when the user walks with the wading implement (10) and aids in lifting it as the wearer raises his leg during a stride. Furthermore, the size of the sole (100) and the elongate shoe upper (200) is pre-determined in a manner such that the invention described herein can be worn over the apparel of the user. Additionally, the length of the upper (200) is also pre-determined such that the second end (230) thereof is way above the user's knee. As such, the user does not need to take off his footwear or adjust his pants in order to' use the said wading implement (10).

In this example, the first end (220) of the upper (200) is sandwiched between the inner sole (120) and the outer sole (110). In effect, the sole (200) is holding the first end (220) of the upper (200). The sole (100) and upper (200) should be attached snugly so as to create a leak-tight connection and prevent flood-water from leaching inside the body (210). This objective can also be carried out using adhesives. It is also possible to have the sole (100) and the upper (200) in a single piece wherein both of them are made of a single material. This can be obtained using blow molding technique of plastic materials. Preferably, the upper (200) is made of pliable material so as to allow it to be stored easily by rolling over the sole (100) until it is wrapped by the pliant upper (200). This allows the wading implement (10) to be contracted in form and hence, can be stored easily. In this example, a translucent PVC polymer was the material of choice for the upper (200). More preferably, the pliable material for use as upper (200) is selected from the group consisting of: leather, synthetic leather, PVC, polyurethane, rubber, polyethylene like PET or LDPE, polyester, and nylon; or a combination of any of the foregoing. It is also possible to have at least a portion of the body (210) covered with a pliant insulating material to protect the user from the cold water or from thermal fluctuations particularly for a wearer that is riding on a motorcycle.

Still referring to Figure 1, a reinforcement lining (231) is installed at the rim of the second end (230) to enhance its mechanical strength. A plurality of perforations (232) is disposed on the reinforcement lining (231) through the rim of the second end (230). In this case, the number of perforations (232) is four wherein two holes are disposed at the front (toe side) and another two on the rear (heel side) portions of the rim of the second end (230). A suspender (300) is attached to the second end (230) of the upper (200) via the perforations (232). In this example, the suspender (300) is composed of a long elastic cord. One end thereof was inserted through a first front hole (toe side) and then passed through a first rear hole (heel side). It then passed through a second rear hole (heel side) before terminating at a second front hole (toe side) of the wading implement (10). Each end of the said cord was provided with a spring lock (301) to keep it in place, preventing the same from slipping through the holes. The spring locks (301) are used for adjusting the length of the cord. Optionally, a stopper (302) can be placed at each end of the cord right after the spring lock (301) in order to ensure that cord does not slip from the holes-(-23-2)-of-the-reinforcement-lini^

user can then wear the invention described herein by simply inserting his foot, with his footwear on, into the upper (200) and strap on the suspender (300). As the user wearing the disclosed invention walks through flood waters, a fluid drag is created around the wading implement (10), which tends to pull it off from the user's legs.

The preferred way of wearing the invention is to strap on the suspender (300) onto his shoulders. More preferably, the user can place the suspender (300) on the shoulder opposite to his leg where the wading implement (10) is worn. This scheme is illustrated in Figure 2, where a user puts on the suspender (300) of the wading implement (10) from his left leg onto his right shoulder across his head. Similarly, the suspender (300) for the wading implement (10) on his right leg is placed on his left shoulder. This method minimizes the chance of unintentional removal of the suspenders (300) and eventually the wading implement during actual use, particularly in wading through flood water. After the user puts on the suspenders, he can then adjust the length of the thereof in accordance to his desired comfort such that the wading implement (10) is not too loose to fall off from the wearer's leg.

Preferably, at least a portion of the suspenders (300) is elastic so that the tension created on the shoulders by the fluid drag produced in wading through the water is absorbed by the elastic portion. In addition, the suspenders (300) may be a combination of materials whereby a portion thereof, specifically the section that lands on the shoulders of the user, is made of flat strap. This minimizes the pressure on the shoulders of the user.

The abovementioned embodiments were only indicated in order to further elucidate the present invention to a person skilled in the art. They should not therefore be considered as an unnecessary limitation to the invention described herein. Other embodiments may be perceived without going away from the spirit of the said invention.