Disposable footwear cover

Abstract

The present invention relates to disposable protective footwear covers suitable for use in sterile environments, critically controlled environments, medical facilities, and industrial clean rooms.

1 . A disposable footwear cover having an inner surface, an outer surface, a lower leg region, an ankle region, a metatarsal region, a toe region, and a sole region, the cover comprising: 
 a flexible polymer sheet;    an elastic gather in the lower leg region;    an elastic gather in the metatarsal region;    an elastic gather in the ankle region; and    a non-slip coating covering at least 25 percent of the surface area of the sole region.    
   
   
       2 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer sheet comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyolefin and polyester.  
   
   
       3 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 2 , wherein the flexible polymer sheet comprises polyethylene.  
   
   
       4 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer sheet is nonwoven.  
   
   
       5 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible polymer sheet is woven.  
   
   
       6 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer coating has a coefficient of static friction greater than about 1.5.  
   
   
       7 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the non-slip coating comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins, polyester, rubber, polyurethane and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 7 , wherein the non-slip coating comprises polyester.  
   
   
       9 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 8 , wherein the polyester is coated with polyvinyl chloride.  
   
   
       10 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible sheet material blocks transmission of greater than about 85 percent of particles having an average diameter of greater than about 0.5 micrometers.  
   
   
       11 . The disposable footwear cover of  claim 10 , wherein the flexible sheet material blocks transmission of greater than about 93 percent of particles having an average diameter of greater than about 0.5 micrometers.  
   
   
       12 . A process for making a footwear cover of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of 
 providing two sheets of polymer each having two long sides and a taper from a wide end to a narrow end,    attaching the two sheets together at the narrow end of the taper,    attaching the two sheets together for a partial distance on each of the long sides, thereby forming a small opening and an opposite large opening,    providing a third sheet,    forming the third sheet into a cylindrical shape,    attaching the cylindrical third sheet to the small opening,    providing a sole sheet,    attaching the sole sheet to the large opening,    attaching an elastic gather in the lower leg region,    attaching an elastic gather in the metatarsal region,    attaching an elastic gather in the ankle region.