Decorative strap system
A decorative strap system includes an elongate strap, having a plurality of apertures disposed along its length, at least one ornament, removably attached to the elongate strap through one of the plurality of apertures, and means for substantially preventing rotation of the ornament in the aperture.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a strap and decorative attachments that are removably attachable thereto.
2. Related Art
The wearing of jewelry, ornaments, and decorative apparel of various kinds is one of the most ancient practices. While types, styles, and tastes have varied through the ages and from place to place, jewelry and decorative apparel have been used in nearly every era and culture to add beauty or style, display riches, or simply to express one's individual tastes or preferences. Today the quantity and variety of such items is unsurpassed, allowing nearly any person to express their individual tastes and preferences in a wide variety of ways.
Belts and belt-like items, such as suspenders, bracelets, etc., are a widely used type of decorative apparel. These are available in many styles, colors, etc. Additionally, a variety of ornaments and devices have been developed that can be added to belt-like items to modify their appearance and increase their attractiveness. Gems, alphanumeric characters and words, buttons, pins, charms, and such are frequently attached to belts, bracelets and the like to ornament them, to display a message, or simply to make them unique to the wearer. They can also be used to display a collection of items, such as trinkets or charms, or to advertise a wearer's hobby or interest.
There are a variety of methods for attaching ornaments to belts and belt-like items. Many of these use rivets or other fasteners to create a permanent attachment that limits the flexibility of the item. Where ornaments are permanently attached, a user cannot change or rearrange the ornaments when desired. This can have the negative effect of causing the item to become out of style or no longer of interest to the wearer after a relatively brief time. This can be wasteful, as well as limiting the wearer's ability to express themselves.
Other methods for attaching ornaments to belts and belt-like items have been developed that do not create a permanent attachment. Such systems allow ornamental items to be removed and replaced, rearranged, or otherwise changed when the user desires. Unfortunately, some systems that provide a method for removably attaching ornaments or items to an item of apparel do not provide a secure attachment, with the result that attached items can be lost. Additionally, some removable connection methods can allow the connected item to rotate or otherwise change its orientation. Depending upon the nature of the decorative items and the user's intended appearance, this can be undesirable.
SUMMARYIt has been recognized that it would be desirable to provide an item of apparel to which decorative ornaments can be removably attached in a secure manner.
It has also been recognized that it would be desirable to provide an item of apparel wherein removably attachable ornaments are substantially fixed in their orientation once attached.
In accordance with one aspect thereof, the present invention provides a decorative strap system, comprising an elongate, flexible strap, and an ornament, removably attachable to the strap. The strap includes a plurality of apertures disposed along its length, and the ornament is removably attachable to the strap through one of the plurality of apertures. The ornament includes a mounting post configured to press-fit through the aperture, and a flange configured to engage a side of the aperture to resist rotation of the ornament therein.
In accordance with another aspect thereof, the invention provides an item of apparel, comprising an elongate strap, having a plurality of apertures disposed along its length, at least one ornament, removably attached to the elongate strap through one of the plurality of apertures, and means for substantially preventing rotation of the ornament in the aperture.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSAdditional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention, and wherein:
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Referring to
The strap 10 can be of any material that is suitable, such as leather, cloth, elastic material, plastics, rubber, metal, etc. As shown in
The apertures 12 can be disposed along substantially the entire length of the strap 10, or along only a portion of the length of the strap. Where, as in
Alternatively, the holes can be configured in other arrangements, some of which are shown in
The ornaments 14 generally comprise an ornament body 28, with a mounting post 30 extending generally perpendicularly from the rear side 32 of the body. The ornaments can have almost any form and appearance, and can be made of a variety of materials. The ornaments can be of plastic, metal, rubber, cloth, glass, or any other suitable material. It will be apparent that the ornament can comprise multiple materials, and the post and body need not be of the same material. For example, if it is most desirable that the post be of plastic, the body of the ornament can nevertheless be of metal or some other material, and vice versa. The shape and appearance of the ornament can be symmetrical, irregular, or any other desired shape. Some types of ornaments that the inventors have considered include a guitar pick (14a in
The mounting post 30 includes a central post body 40 and an enlarged distal end 42, with a tapered forward surface 44 and a tapered rearward surface 46. The enlarged distal end is configured to press-fit through an aperture 12 of the strap, the aperture frictionally resisting removal of the ornament, yet allows the ornament to be removed when desired. To this end, the distal end of the mounting post has a dimension D (shown in
As best shown in
Ornaments can have a single mounting post, as shown in
As noted above, it can be desirable to have the removably attached ornaments 14 substantially fixed in their orientation and prevented from rotating once attached. For example, where the ornaments have an irregular shape, such as an animal or human figure, it can be desirable to keep them in a particular orientation (e.g. upright). Advantageously, the decorative strap system disclosed herein is configured to substantially prevent rotation of the ornaments in their apertures. This can be done in several ways. As shown in
This configuration helps the ornaments stay in a substantially fixed orientation once attached to the strap. For example, referring to
The shape of the apertures can also be modified to prevent rotation of the ornament. The apertures 12 in the strap 10 shown in
There are other configurations for resisting rotation of the ornaments. For example, the body 40 of the mounting post 30 can have a non-circular cross-sectional shape corresponding to the shape of a non-circular aperture, such as those shown in
A wide variety of items of apparel can be provided with removable ornaments or decorations in the manner disclosed herein. For example, belts and belt-like items having free ends that attach together or attach to some other item, such as the belt 10 shown in
It is to be understood that the above-referenced arrangements are illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.
Claims
1. A decorative strap system, comprising:
- an elongate, flexible strap, having a plurality of apertures disposed along its length; and
- an ornament, removably attachable to the strap through one of the plurality of apertures, the ornament having a mounting post configured to press-fit through the one aperture, and including a flange configured to engage a side of the one of the plurality of apertures to resist rotation of the ornament in the aperture.
2. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed along substantially an entire length of the strap.
3. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the plurality of apertures are disposed substantially in a line.
4. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are substantially circular.
5. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures are substantially non-circular.
6. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 5, wherein the plurality of apertures include irregularities configured to engage the flange of the ornament.
7. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the strap is of leather.
8. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting post comprises an enlarged distal end, configured to press-fit through the one aperture, and the flange includes at least two flanges extending from a base of the mounting post and tapering toward the distal end.
9. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ornament includes more than one mounting post, configured to simultaneously press-fit through and engage more than one aperture of the strap.
10. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the strap is a substantially continuous endless band.
11. An item of apparel, comprising:
- an elongate strap, having a plurality of apertures disposed along its length; and
- at least one ornament, removably attached to the elongate strap through one of the plurality of apertures; and
- means for substantially preventing rotation of the ornament in the aperture.
12. An item of apparel in accordance with claim 11, further comprising means for fastening opposing ends of the strap.
13. An item of apparel in accordance with claim 11, wherein the strap is a substantially continuous endless band.
14. An item of apparel in accordance with claim 11, wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures are substantially non-circular.
15. An item of apparel in accordance with claim 11, wherein the means for substantially preventing rotation of the ornament comprises a flange extending from a mounting post of the ornament, the flange configured to engage a side of the one of aperture.
16. An item of apparel in accordance with claim 15, wherein the ornament includes more than one mounting post, configured to simultaneously engage more than one aperture of the strap.
17. A decorative strap system, comprising:
- an elongate, flexible strap, having a plurality of apertures disposed substantially along its entire length; and
- at least two ornaments, removably attached to the strap through at least two of the plurality of apertures, each ornament including a mounting post, having an enlarged distal end configured to press-fit through the aperture and frictionally resist removal therefrom; and a plurality of flanges, extending laterally from the mounting post, configured to engage a side of the aperture to resist rotation of the ornament therein.
18. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the plurality of apertures include non-circular apertures configured to engage the flanges of the ornaments.
19. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 17, further comprising a buckle, configured to attach opposing ends of the strap to each other.
20. A decorative strap system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the strap is a substantially continuous endless band.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 31, 2005
Publication Date: May 3, 2007
Inventors: Dee Stevens (Logan, UT), Mark Baugh (Liberty, UT), Kevin Orme (Tremonton, UT)
Application Number: 11/263,195
International Classification: A41F 9/00 (20060101);