US4864740A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Disposable hygienic shoe insole and method for making the same
Assignee: Kimberly Clark Worldwide Inc
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Filing: 1986-12-22
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Granted: 1989-09-12
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Expires: 2006-12-22
Abstract
Abstract A disposable hygienic shoe insole comprises three layers; a top layer of a spunbonded polypropylene material, a composite layer of pulp fibers and polypropylene fibers meltblown onto the top layer, and a bottom layer of polyethylene vinyl acetate meltblown onto the composite layer. The layers, preferably the composite layer, can include antimicrobial agents, fragrance, or neutralizer or odor-absorbing agents. The top surface of the top layer is provided with good abrasion resistance, and the bottom surface of the bottom layer provides required friction to maintain the shoe insole in place during use.
Inventors
- 👤 Barbara A. Oakley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:59
CPC Classifications
A; A43; A43B; A43B17/00; A43B17/10; A43B17/102; A43B17/105; A43B1/00; A43B1/0045
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising: a top layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and being made of a nonwoven material, a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer being adhered to said bottom surface of said top layer, a bottom layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and being made of a nonwoven material, said top surface being adhered to said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, a first perforation means disposed across predetermined portions of said top layer, said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and said bottom layer for selectively manually removing certain ones of said predetermined portions, and a reusable adhesive means on said bottom surface of said bottom layer for readhering said layers together.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising: a top layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and being made of a nonwoven material, a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer being adhered to said bottom surface of said top layer, a bottom layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, and being made of a nonwoven material, said top surface being adhered to said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, a first perforation means disposed across predetermined portions of said top layer, said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and said bottom layer for selectively manually removing certain ones of said predetermined portions, and a reusable adhesive means on said bottom surface of said bottom layer for readhering said layers together.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer is a blend of pulp fibers and polypropylene fibers, said blend being in a percentage weight range of about 50% pulp fibers and about 50% polypropylene fibers to about 80% pulp fibers and about 20% polypropylene fibers, and wherein said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer has a basis weight between about 100 g/m 2 to about 300 g/m 2 .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top layer is made of a spunbonded polypropylene, polyester, or nylon material, and has a basis weight between about 24 g/m 2 to about 70 g/m 2 .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top layer is made of a powder-bonded carded web of polypropylene, polyester, or nylon material, and has a basis weight between about 24 g/m 2 to about 70 g/m 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top layer is made of a meltblown polypropylene, polyester, or nylon material, and has a basis weight between about 24 g/m 2 to about 70 g/m 2 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top layer is a composite of meltblown and spunbonded materials.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is made of a meltblown polyethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene methacrylate material, and has a basis weight between about 20 g/m 2 to about 80 g/m 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The shoe insole of claim 7 wherein said meltblown bottom layer is combined with meltblown polypropylene or meltblown polyethylene, wherein said meltblown polypropylene or said meltblown polyethylene can comprise up to about 40% by weight of the total weight of said bottom layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
The shoe insole of claim 7 wherein said meltblown polyethylene vinyl acetate is between about 15% to about 20% by weight vinyl acetate, or wherein said polyethylene methacrylate is between about 20% to about 30% by weight methacrylate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is made of a meltblown elastomeric material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is an extruded film of polyethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene methacrylate material.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is an extruded film of elastomeric material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is an extruded film of low-tack adhesive material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said bottom layer is an extruded film of polymeric material, with a film of low-tack adhesive extruded thereon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 further comprising an antiskid means on said bottom surface of said bottom layer for preventing movement of said shoe insole during use, said antiskid means providing a coefficient of friction of at least 170 grams.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein the adherence between said top layer and said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer is at least about 0.5 kg, and wherein the adherence between said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer and said bottom layer is at least about 0.3 kg.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer includes an antimicrobial agent.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The shoe insole of claim 17 wherein said antimicrobial agent is a metal compound of zinc, copper, aluminum, or cobalt.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The shoe insole of claim 17 wherein said antimicrobial agent is a quaternary ammonium compound.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The shoe insole of claim 17 wherein said antimicrobial agent is a sorbic acid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The shoe insole of claim 17 wherein said antimicrobial agent is a citrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
38 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer includes a fragrant material in an amount of about 2 mg to about 5 mg of fragrant material per gram of said shoe insole.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer includes activated carbon as a neutralizer or odor-absorber.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top surface of said top layer is embossed to provide abrasion resistance thereto.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 wherein said top layer is saturated with a rubber or acrylic latex to provide abrasion resistance thereto.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
54 words
The shoe insole of claim 1 further comprising a second perforation means along predetermined portions of peripheries of said top layer, said pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and said bottom layer for selectively manually tearing away certain ones of said portions, whereby the size of said shoe insole can be fitted for use.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: spunbonding a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, meltblowing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: spunbonding a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, meltblowing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 27, wherein the top layer of nonwoven material is a polypropylene, polyester, or nylon material.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 27 wherein the step of spunbonding further includes the step of meltblowing.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: meltblowing a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, depositing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: meltblowing a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, depositing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: carding a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface depositing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of making a disposable hygienic shoe insole, comprising the steps of: carding a top layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface depositing on the bottom surface of the top layer a pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and meltblowing onto the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer a bottom layer of a nonwoven material having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface being next to the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 27 wherein depositing the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer is by meltblowing polypropylene fibers into an air stream of pulp fluff in a percentage weight range of about 50% pulp fluff and about 50% polypropylene fibers to about 80% pulp fluff and about 20% polypropylene fibers.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 27 wherein the bottom layer is a polyethylene vinyl acetate or polyethylene methacrylate material.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 33 further including meltblowing polypropylene or polyethylene in an amount up to about 40% by weight of the total weight of the bottom layer.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 27 wherein the bottom layer is an elastomeric material.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of disposing an antimicrobial agent in one of the top layer, the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and the bottom layer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of disposing a fragrant material in one of the top layer, the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and the bottom layer.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of disposing a neutralizer or odor-absorber in one of the top layer, the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and the bottom layer.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of embossing the top surface of the top layer.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of saturating the top layer with a rubber or acrylic latex.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 27 further comprising the step of perforating predetermined portions of the top layer, the pulp and polymer fiber composite layer, and the bottom layer, whereby certain portions can be selectively manually removed.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
15 words
A disposable hygienic shoe insole made by the method of claim 27, 30 or 31.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-09-11 | 1993-03-13 | 1993-09-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-09-11 | 1997-03-13 | 1997-09-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-09-11 | 2001-03-13 | 2001-09-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |