Logo apparatus for shoe

Abstract

Apparatus and method for providing a logo on a shoe. The apparatus can include a body having a logo disposed thereon. A clip can also be provided having a base attached to a surface of the body. The clip can be formed as a blade extending a predetermined distance from the base adjacent to the surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/588,579 filed Jul. 16, 2004, which application is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Statement of the Technical Field

The inventive arrangements concern advertising and more particularly advertising on shoes.

2. Description of the Related Art

Marketers are constantly searching for new methods to promote products and services. These efforts can include the placement of logos, trademarks, slogans, or other identifying marks on various articles. Marketing efforts in this area have identified many novel and innovative locations on which advertisements can be placed. For example, advertising can now be found in diverse locations ranging from baseball fields to articles of clothing.

Most often, advertising attached to articles of clothing is affixed by the manufacturer. For example, logos and other promotional messages can be affixed by screen printing, embroidery, various kinds of patches affixed to the articles of clothing and so on. Shoes, especially sports shoes, are also known to sometimes include promotional labels or logos. Usually, these are affixed to the shoe at the time of manufacture by stitching, printing, stitched on labels, molded on insignia and so on. These systems have proved satisfactory for most kinds of advertising affixed to shoes.

Still, it is sometimes the case that consumers will wish to affix logos, advertising or personal messages to an article of clothing after it has been manufactured. For example, at a sporting event, spectators may wish to identify themselves with a particular team or player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an apparatus for providing a logo on a shoe. The apparatus can include a body having a logo disposed thereon. A clip member can also be provided having a base attached to a surface of the body. The clip member can be formed as a blade extending a predetermined distance from the base adjacent to the surface. The blade can be positioned between a tongue of a shoe and a shoe lace so as to secure the body in place in a location where the logo can be seen. The blade can have at least one tab disposed on it and extending toward the surface.

The base can include a spacer element for spacing the elongated clip member from the body. The blade can be any length suitable for securing the clip member between the tongue and the laces. For example, the blade can extend a predetermined distance beyond an edge of the body to facilitate insertion of the blade between the tongue and laces of a shoe.

According to another aspect, the invention can also include a method for applying a logo to a shoe. The method can include inserting a clip member between a tongue of a shoe and a lace of a shoe and attaching to the clip member a logo so that the logo is displayed on the shoe over the laces. The method can also include providing the clip member with at least one elongated blade portion which has a thin profile so it can be positioned between the tongue and the lace without causing discomfort to a person wearing the shoe. Further, the method can include using at least one tab extending from the elongated blade portion to securely engage the laces when the laces are tightened in the shoe. Finally, the method can include the step of removing the elongated blade portion from the shoe by loosening the laces and sliding the blade out from betweens the laces and the tongue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a logo apparatus that can be removably attached to a shoe.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the logo apparatus in FIG. 1, taken along line 2-2.

FIG. 3 is drawing that is useful for understanding how a body portion of the logo can be attached to the clip member.

FIG. 4 is a drawing that is useful for understanding how the logo apparatus in FIG. 1 can be attached to a shoe.

FIG. 5 is a drawing that is useful for understanding how the logo apparatus in FIG. 1 can appear when affixed to a shoe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a logo apparatus 100 that can be removably attached to a shoe. As illustrated therein, the logo apparatus can include a body 102 having a logo 104 disposed thereon. The term logo as used herein can include any of a wide variety of designs, information, marks, symbols or advertising. For example the logo can include team insignia, race car numbers, trademarks, service marks, personal messages and so on. The logo can be a two dimensional graphic. Alternatively, the logo can be a three dimensional object such as a character sculpture or novelty design.

The logo apparatus 100 can also have a clip member 106 that can be configured for removably securing the logo apparatus to a shoe. The clip member 106 can be any structure suitable for attaching the logo apparatus to a shoe. According to one embodiment, the clip member can be a structure suitable for engaging the laces of as shoe such that the logo apparatus is removably secured to thereto.

FIGS. 1-3 show one embodiment of a clip member 106 that can be used for the logo apparatus of the present invention. As illustrated therein, the logo apparatus 100 can include a base portion 108 attached to a surface 110 of the body 102. The base can include a spacer element 112 for spacing the clip member from the body 102 but the invention is not limited in this regard. The clip member 106 can also include at least one blade 114 extending a predetermined distance from the base 108 adjacent to the surface 110. The exact dimensions of the blade width W will depend to some extent on the number of blades used to form the clip. If a single blade is used, the blade can have a relatively broad width. For example, the blade can be slightly less than the width of a tongue for a shoe. Alternatively, a narrower blade can be used for greater user comfort and convenience.

According to an embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-3, multiple blades 114 can be used. In that case, the width W of the blades can be generally narrower. Multiple blades having a relatively narrow width can be more comfortable in some instances than a single broader width blade. If multiple blades 114 are used, the blade width and overall spacing between the blades can be selected so that the clip member 106 fits within an area between the laces and tongue of a shoe. Still, many other blade configurations are possible and the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in FIGS. 1-3.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the blade can have at least one tab 116 disposed on it and extending toward the surface 110. Each tab 116 preferably has a tip or edge 118 that is useful for engaging a shoe lace when the laces are slipped between the surface 110 and the blade 114. The tab 116 shown in FIGS. 1-3 comprises a prong-like member punched from the surface of the blade 114. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in this regard. Instead, any suitable structure can be disposed on the surface of the blade 114 that will allow a shoe lace to easily slide into the space between the blade 114 and surface 110, but will generally tend to prevent the blade from being removed. For example, the tabs can be formed from one or more ridges, lips, raised areas or other similar structure.

In addition, or as an alternative to providing tabs 116 on the blade 114, the tabs can be provided on surface 110 of the logo body. In either case, the tabs 116 preferably provide some structure for allowing the blade to slide easily between the laces for securing the logo body 102 to a shoe. Conversely, the structure of the tabs 116 should be selected to prevent the blade 114 from being removed from its position between the laces and tongue of a shoe, at least when the laces of the shoe are snugly tied.

The blade 114 can be any length suitable for securing the clip member 106 between the tongue and the laces of a shoe. For example, the blade can extend a predetermined distance beyond an edge of the body as shown in FIG. 1. This can be useful for allowing a user to more conveniently slide the blade 114 between a tongue and a lace of a shoe.

According to another aspect, the invention can also include a method for applying a logo to a shoe. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the method can include inserting a clip member 106 between a tongue 122 of a shoe 120 and a lace 124 of the shoe 120. The method can also include the step of attaching to the clip member 106 the logo body 102 so that the logo 104 is displayed on the shoe 120 over the laces 124. The method can also include providing the clip member 106 with at least one elongated blade 114 which has a relatively thin profile or thickness T so it can be positioned between the tongue and the lace without causing discomfort to a person wearing the shoe.

Further, the method can include the step of using at least one tab 116 extending from the elongated blade portion 114 or surface 110 to securely engage the laces 124 when the laces are tightened in the shoe. Finally, the method can include the step of removing the elongated blade portion 114 from the shoe by loosening the laces and sliding the blade out from betweens the laces and the tongue.

The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scope by the preferred embodiments herein disclosed, since these embodiments are intended as illustrations of several aspects of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a logo on a shoe, comprising:

a body having a logo disposed thereon;

a clip member having a base attached to a surface of said body; said clip member comprising a blade extending a predetermined distance from said base adjacent to said surface with at least one tab disposed on said blade and extending toward said surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said base includes a spacer element for spacing said elongated clip member from said body.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blade extends beyond a limit defined by an edge of said body.

4. A method for applying a logo to a shoe, comprising:

inserting a clip member between a tongue of a shoe and a lace of a shoe;

attaching to said elongated clip member a logo so that said logo is displayed on said shoe over said laces.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing said clip member with at least one elongated blade portion which has a thin profile so it can be positioned between said tongue and said lace without causing discomfort to a person wearing said shoe.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising using at least one tab extending from said elongated blade portion to securely engage said laces when said laces are tightened in said shoe.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising removing said elongated blade portion from said shoe by loosening said laces and sliding said blade out from between said laces and said tongue.