Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02525070 2005-10-28
Metal Toecau for Safety Shoes
Background of the Invention
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal toecap. In particular, the present
invention relates to a metal toecap for safety shoes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Workers in some factories or building sites must wear safety shoes to
protect the toes from being injured by a heavy object falling from above. A
steel
or plastic toecap is mounted in a front end of a safety shoe to withstand
external
impact. A toecap made of steel is relatively heavy though it is more effective
in
resisting impact. A toecap made of plastic is light yet could not withstand
strong
impact.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrate a conventional steel toecap 10 for
safety shoes. The steel toecap 10 comprises a substantially U-shaped arcuate
peripheral wall 11 that tapers forward. The steel toecap 10 further includes a
top
wall 12, a bottom wall 13, and a rear opening 14 for receiving the toes of a
user.
The steel toecap 10 is formed by pressing a steel plate, with the peripheral
wall 11,
the top wall 12, and the bottom wall 13 having the same thickness. The top
wall
12 must have a thickness sufficient to withstand external impact such that the
thickness of the whole steel toecap 10 could not be reduced, resulting in a
relatively heavy structure that adversely affects walking. Further, when a
heavy
object falling onto the safety shoe, the top wall 12 withstands the impact
that is
then transmitted through the peripheral wall 11 and the bottom wall 13 to the
sole
of the safety shoe. The impact-resisting effect is not satisfactory, as there
is no
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reinforcing structure for the top wall 12 and the peripheral wall 13 that are
liable
to collapse or deform during the impact.
Summary of the Invention
An objective of the present invention is to provide a metal toecap with
improved impact-resisting effect without changing the width and shape of the
metal toecap.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a metal toecap
that can be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy to reduce the overall weight.
A metal toecap for safety shoes in accordance with the present invention
comprises an arcuate peripheral wall that tapers forward, a top wall, and a
bottom
wall, defining a rear opening for receiving toes of a user. The peripheral
wall
and the top wall are connected by an upper arcuate transition section with a
thickness that increases toward the top wall such that the top wall has a
thickness
greater than that of the peripheral wall. The impact-resisting property of the
top
wall is thus improved.
Preferably, the metal toecap is made of aluminum or aluminum alloy to
provide a light structure.
Preferably, the top wall includes an inclined inner face in a rear portion
thereof such that the thickness of the top wall reduces toward the rear
portion
thereof.
Preferably, the top wall includes a plurality of ribs on at least one of an
outer face of the top wall and an inner face of the top wall to improve the
impact-resisting property and heat-dissipating effect.
Preferably, the peripheral wall and the bottom wall are connected by a
lower arcuate transition section with a thickness that increases toward the
bottom
wall. The impact-resisting property of the bottom wall is thus improved.
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Preferably, the thickness of the top wall is greater than that of the bottom
wall.
Preferably, the peripheral wall includes a plurality of ribs on an inner face
thereof to improve the impact-resisting property and heat-dissipating effect.
Other objectives, advantages, and novel features of the invention will
become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a front, top perspective view of a conventional toecap for safety
shoes.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the conventional toecap.
Fig. 3 is a front, top perspective view of a metal toecap for safety shoes in
accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 4 is a rear, top perspective view of the metal toecap in accordance
with the present invention.
Fig. 5 is a rear view of the metal toecap in accordance with the present
invention.
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the metal toecap in accordance with the
present invention.
Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the metal toecap in Fig. 6.
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, illustrating use of a rubber protective
strip.
Fig. 9 is a front, top perspective view of a modified embodiment of the
metal toecap in accordance with the present invention.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view of another modified embodiment of the metal
toecap in accordance with the present invention.
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Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a further modified embodiment of the metal
toecap in accordance with the present invention.
Detailed Descriution of the Preferred Embodiments
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, a metal toecap 20 for safety shoes in
accordance with the present invention comprises a substantially U-shaped
arcuate
peripheral wall 21 that tapers forward. The steel toecap 10 further includes a
top
wall 22 and a bottom wall 23. A rear opening 24 for receiving the toes of a
user
is thus defined by a rear end of the peripheral wall 21, the top wall 22, and
the
bottom wall 23.
Still referring to Figs. 3 and 4 and further to Figs. 5 through 7, the top
wall 22 has a thickness greater than that of the peripheral wall 21. In the
illustrated embodiment, the peripheral wall 21 and the top wall 22 are
connected
by an upper arcuate transition section 25 with a thickness that increases
toward
the top wall 22, thereby improving the impact-resisting property for the top
wall
22.
The metal toecap 20 can be made of aluminum or aluminum alloy by
forging or pressing. The thickness of the top wall 22 can be increased to
improve the impact resisting property while providing a light structure.
The peripheral wall 21 and the bottom wall 23 are connected by a lower
arcuate transition section 26 with a thickness that increases toward the
bottom
wall 23, thereby improving the impact-resisting property for the bottom wall
23.
In the illustrated embodiment, the thickness of the top wall 22 is greater
than that
of the bottom wall 23.
Since the width and thickness of the peripheral wall 21 of the toecap 20
does not have to be increased, the appearance of the toecap 20 is not changed,
although the thicknesses of the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 23 are
increased.
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Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the top wall 22 includes an inclined inner face
27 in a rear portion thereof such that the thickness of the top wall 22
reduces
toward the rear portion thereof. When the rear portion of the top wall 22 is
subjected to an external downward impact force, the inclined inner face 27
provides an additional room for downward deformation of the rear portion of
the
top wall 22 to protect the toes of the user.
As illustrated in Fig. 8, a rubber protective strip 30 may be bonded to the
rear end of the top wall 22 and covers the inclined inner face 27 for
providing a
streamlined outline when the metal toecap 20 is covered with a vamp (not
shown)
of the safety shoe (not shown).
Fig. 9 shows a modified embodiment of the invention, wherein the top
wall 22 includes a plurality of ribs 28 on an outer face thereof. The ribs may
be
formed on an inner face of the top wall 22. Fig. 10 shows another modified
embodiment of the invention, wherein the peripheral wall 21 includes a
plurality
of ribs 29 on an inner face thereof. The strength (or impact-resisting
property)
and heat-dissipating effect are improved.
Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a further modified embodiment of the
invention. In this embodiment, the angle between the bottom wall 230 and the
lower arcuate transition section 26 is different from that in the previous
embodiments.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described,
numerous modifications and variations are still possible without departing
from
the essence of the invention. The scope of the invention is limited by the
accompanying claims.
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