METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CUSTOMIZING GOODS
The present invention includes a base or first portion connectable with a cap or second portion through an article of clothing. The first portion includes an area for several styles of indicia, including raised gems or ornaments, an appliqué, or etchings into the second portion. The second portion is easily changeable with another second portion to better coordinate with the underlying article, or to portray a particular style or fashion statement. The second portion may include a recessed circular area for receiving the appliqué therein and to provide an alignment mechanism for properly positioning the appliqué.
Latest LOVAN ENTERPRISES, LLC Patents:
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/480,649, filed Apr. 29, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Technical Field
This invention relates to decorating goods, and in particular to a decorative snap-on apparatus for various goods such as clothing and various accessories, and to the use of the decorative apparatus for customizing the goods to the whims of the user.
2. Background Information
Countless numbers of items, and in particular jewelry and decorative attachments have been used over the centuries for attaching to various goods, and in particular clothing or accessories such as handbags, shoes, etc. to provide a choice of fashion statements for the wearer or user. Most of these attachments are of a single type that once attached, either remain attached or are removably attached, and are provided with a particular design or decoration thereon. However, in today's fashion, especially in the younger adults, there is a desire to accessorize or decorate various articles of clothing and related accessories and to mix and match the decorations without requiring that the entire piece of jewelry or decorative device be replaced each time a different style of fashion is desired.
Snap fasteners have been used in the clothing industry for years in order to secure two pieces of fabric together with one half of the snap fastener being permanently fixed to one piece of the fabric with the other half of the snap fastener being fixed to the other piece of fabric, and whereupon the two half members are snap-fitted together to form a closure for the article of clothing. However, such snap-fasteners have never been used to assist in customizing various types of goods.
Thus, there is a desire in the fashion industry to provide an apparatus and method of using the apparatus for customizing goods, and in particular clothing enabling the user to match various occasions, moods or make a particular fashion statement without requiring an entire separate piece of jewelry for each desired fashion.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne feature of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, one part or member thereof which is permanently secured to an article of clothing or other types of goods, with another member being removably connected to the first member. This second member has a decorative facing and can be easily replaced to provide other decorative facings to provide a certain fashion statement or to coordinate one article of clothing such as the pants, to match the color of a second article of clothing, such as the shirt or blouse being worn by the wearer.
Another feature of the present invention is to enable the decorative member of the attachment apparatus to be easily removed from the permanently attached member of the apparatus and replaced with another member having a different decorative surface or appliqué applied thereto.
A further feature of the invention is to enable one member of the attachment apparatus to remain fixed to the article with a snap-fit post thereof being exposed providing a fashion feature to the clothing similar to the rivets used in various types of jeans or leather goods, yet when desired, will snap-fit receive thereon the second member of the decorative apparatus which has a decorative face thereon.
Still another feature of the present invention is to enable the device to be attached to various types of goods and articles such as pants, shirts, shoes, etc. in addition to backpacks and handbags presently being used by many school-age children and young adults, or attached to animal collars or countless numbers of other goods.
These features are achieved by the method of the present invention comprising the steps of: securing a first member on the goods by penetrating the goods with a post of the first member; removably attaching a second member on the post of the first member by a snap-fit connection; and providing an exposed surface on the second member displaying a decorative design.
These features are further obtained by the combination of an article having first and second surfaces and an apparatus secured to the article for customizing the article, wherein the apparatus has a first member with a base abutting the first surface of the article and an outwardly extending post penetrating the article, and a cap having a base abutting the second surface of the article and a socket for receiving the post therein to secure the first member on the article; a second member having a socket for receiving the cap and post of the first member therein in a removable snap-fit engagement wherein the second member is removably mounted on the first member; a button secured to the socket; and a decorative indicia on the button.
A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles, is set forth in the following description and is shown in the drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.
Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe apparatus of the present invention for carrying out the method of the invention is shown particularly in
A first embodiment of the first member 5 is shown in
A second embodiment of the first member which attaches to the goods is indicated generally at 26, and is shown in
A third embodiment of the first member is indicated generally at 35 and is shown in
The second member 7 also may have various embodiments such as shown in
A second embodiment of second member 7 is shown in
A third embodiment of the second member 7 is indicated generally at 65, and is shown in
Apparatus 1 is shown if
As shown in
As shown in
In summary, the apparatus and method of the present invention enables a person to customize various goods including articles of clothing, accessories carried or worn by the user in which the front face of the button of the second member or the exposed face of the first member without the second member attached can be placed at various locations and have various designs to satisfy every fashion statement desired to be made by the wearer.
In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed.
Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described.
Claims
1. A method for customizing goods comprising the steps of:
- securing a first member on the goods by penetrating the goods with a post of the first member;
- removably attaching a second member on the post of the first member by a snap-fit connection; and
- providing an exposed surface on the second member displaying a decorative design.
2. The method defined in claim 1 including the step of matching the decorative design of the second member with an article of clothing.
3. The method defined in claim 2 including the step of removably attaching the decorative design on the exposed surface of the second member.
4. The method of claim 3, further including the step of disposing the decorative design in a circular recess defined by the exposed surface of the second member.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the decorative design is a circular appliqué having an indicia disposed thereon.
6. The method of claim 5 including the step of selecting the goods from a group including jeans, bags and animal collars.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of disposing alternating projections and recesses around the periphery of the second member.
8. A decorative assembly comprising:
- a base comprising: a backing portion; and a threaded stud extending from the backing portion; and
- a cap comprising: a first portion having a front surface, a back surface, and a peripheral surface extending therebetween; a second portion extending from the back surface; and a threaded recess defined by the second portion and sized to rotatably receive the threaded stud therein.
9. The decorative assembly of claim 8, wherein the threaded stud is adapted to extend from an article of clothing to be received in the threaded recess.
10. The decorative assembly of claim 9, further including a circular recess defined by the front surface and an appliqué for disposal therein.
11. The decorative assembly of claim 10, wherein the appliqué includes a first surface having an adhesive disposed thereon and a second surface having an indicia disposed thereon.
12. The decorative assembly of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the cap includes alternating projections and recesses around the periphery of the first portion.
13. A method for customizing an article of goods comprising the steps of:
- extending a portion of a base from the article;
- selecting a cap from a plurality of caps, each cap having different indicia displayed thereon; and
- rotatably mating the selected cap with the portion of the base to removably secure the cap to the article.
14. The method of claim 13, whereby the portion is a threaded stud.
15. The method of claim 14, whereby the threaded stud is rotatably received in a threaded recess defined by the cap.
16. The method of claim 15, whereby the threaded recess is defined by a connector plate extending outwardly away from a rear surface of the cap.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of adhering an appliqué in a recess defined by the cap.
18. The method of claim 17, whereby the appliqué is generally circular in shape and the recess is generally circular in shape.
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of forming a set of alternating projections and recesses around the periphery of the cap.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of color coordinating the indicia with the article.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 27, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 1, 2012
Applicant: LOVAN ENTERPRISES, LLC (Canton, OH)
Inventor: Drew D. VanNostran (Canton, OH)
Application Number: 13/458,471