APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING INTERCHANGEABLE DECORATIVE ELEMENTS WITH FOOTWEAR
An apparatus, method and system for interchangeable decorative elements for footwear includes a female-style attachment point or receiver mounted to the footwear item Multiple male-style accessory attachments are provided, each male-style accessory attachme compπsing a surface for mounting a decorative element to it, or for integrally forming the decorative element with it Multiple decorative elements are provided The female-style attachment point comprises a tπlobe-shaped aperture and the male-style accessory attachment comprises an extension member and a tπlobe-shaped engagement member, the engagement member being ‘unctionally adapted to be received by and removably retained within the aperture The appearance of the footwear item can be customized by the user as 33 desired or required by removing the male-style accessory attachment, with its decorative element, from the female-style attachment point and replacing it with another In the preferred embodiment, the footwear item is a sandal
This application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/085,742 filed Aug. 1, 2008.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to footwear and to methods and systems that are used to accessorize and decorate such footwear. More specifically, the present invention relates to footwear having removably attachable and interchangeable decorative elements and to a method and system for removably attaching such elements to the footwear as the user desires or requires.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe use of footwear can be traced to ancient times. Indeed, prehistoric ancestors are known to have wrapped their feet in animal skins to prevent them from exposure to the elements. Ancient civilizations, in Egypt, Greece and Rome, wore sandals having a firm sole to protect the soles of the feet, with minimal uppers to allow air to circulate freely. While the functionality of footwear was an important reason for the development of different types and styles of footwear around the world, the ability to make such footwear attractive as well as functional has become an important goal of modern footwear manufacturers.
Today, footwear comes in many different styles, shapes, sizes and colors, the variety being limited only by the imagination of footwear designers and manufacturers. One drawback to having many different styles of footwear is that footwear that is appropriate for one occasion may not be appropriate for another. This is true even if the appropriateness of the footwear, as viewed by the user or wearer, is related only to the decorative and non-utilitarian features of the footwear.
In the experience of these inventors, there is a need in the footwear industry to devise an apparatus, method and system such that interchangeably decorative elements can be added to or removed from such footwear to suit the fancy of the user or wearer. There is also a need to devise such an apparatus, method and system whereby the addition or removal of such decorative elements can be accomplished easily, quickly and without the need for tools or other devices. There is further a need to provide the user or wearer with the ability to select decorative elements from a wide variety of possible adornments.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a footwear apparatus, method and system whereby the user can quickly and easily adapt his or her footwear to fit a variety of occasions as may be desired or required. It is another object to provide such a footwear apparatus, method and system whereby the user can accessorize his or her footwear in an almost infinite number of ways through the use of a unique attachment design. It is still another object to provide such a footwear apparatus, method and system whereby the accessory item attached to the user's footwear in a removable fashion so as to allow the user to alternatively place the accessory item on another item, including clothing and non-clothing items, using the unique attachment design.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe footwear apparatus, method and system of the present invention have obtained these objects. They provide for a footwear apparatus having a unique design for attaching and removing decorative footwear elements as may be desired or required by the user. The footwear with which the apparatus, method and system may be used is not limited to any particular design of footwear, although a first preferred embodiment resides in a sandal-type design.
The footwear apparatus, method and system of the present invention establish a new level of creativity in the footwear industry and provide new ways for consumers to be creative in accessorizing their wardrobes and other personal items. Using the apparatus, method and system of the present invention, users can convey their own distinctive sense of style with whimsical and eclectic accessories. In accordance with the present invention, decorative elements may be placed on a user's footwear and then removed and replaced on another clothing item, or a non-clothing item, as may be desired or required by the user.
The foregoing and other features of the apparatus, method and system of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows.
Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numbered elements refer to like elements throughout,
For example,
Disposed within the strap 16 of the sandal 10 are a number of female-style attachment “points” or “receivers” 18 of the type generally shown in
It is also to be understood that the decorative elements discussed throughout this detailed description may be of the type that are purely decorative or of the type that incorporate emblems associated with specific organizations, teams, or events. For example, the decorative element could sport the emblem of a specific professional or college sports team. Alternatively, the decorative element could sport the emblem in support of a specific philanthropic cause or event. The types of decorative elements that may be used are substantially without limit and the present invention is not so limited.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In order to secure a decorative element to the female-style attachment point or receiver 28, 38, 48, 140 as previously described, a male-style accessory attachment 52, 62, 72, 150 is used. See
By way of additional example, and by referring specifically to the male-style accessory attachment or “stud” 150 that is also illustrated in greater detail in
In application, a user would line up the male engagement member 156 with the aperture 144 of the receiver 140. The engagement member 156 is then inserted into the aperture 144 to the point that the underside 157 of each lobe 158 reaches the cavity 146 below the face 142 of the receiver 140 and can pass underneath a portion of the face 142. This may require the user to push downwardly on the stud 150 slightly. With the stud 150 in this position, the user then turns the stud 150 generally about sixty degrees clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the receiver 140 such that the underside 157 of each lobe 158 passes underneath the face 142 of the receiver 140 and the edge 159 of each lobe 158 is urged between two of the dots 149 that face inwardly from the perimeter 147 of the cavity 146 of the receiver 140. The presence of the dots 149 allows the lobes 158 to remain in position and allows the stud 150 to remain securely fastened, but removably so, to the receiver 140. When the user desires to remove the stud 150 and replace it with another, the reverse of the steps described here is followed, it being understood that each stud 150, or pair of studs 150, may be uniquely detailed with a decorative element.
It is also to be understood that the receiver 140 and stud 150 combination as described above can be used to accessorize a user's other clothing and clothing accessory items, including purses, caps, hats, belts, bracelets, coats, and the like. The receiver 140 would be affixed in some suitable fashion to the clothing or clothing accessory item and a stud 150, removed from the footwear item, could be re-located to the clothing or clothing accessory item. It is also to be understood that the receiver 140 and stud 150 combination could be used with non-clothing items such as back-packs, lunch boxes, laptop computer cases, and the like, in the same fashion.
By way of another example of a preferred embodiment,
In yet another example of a preferred embodiment,
The remaining
In view of the foregoing, it will be apparent there has been provided a new, useful and non-obvious footwear apparatus, method and system whereby the user can quickly and easily adapt his or her footwear to fit a variety of occasions as may be desired or required. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided such a footwear apparatus, method and system whereby the user can accessorize his or her footwear in an almost infinite number of ways through the use of the unique attachment design disclosed herein, the attachment means providing for quick and easy attachment and removal of design elements from the footwear as desired or required by the user.
Claims
1. An apparatus for using interchangeable decorative elements with footwear comprising:
- a female-style attachment receiver mounted to an item of footwear;
- a male-style accessory attachment; and
- a decorative element mounted to or integrally formed with the male-style accessory attachment.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the female-style attachment receiver comprises an aperture and the male-style accessory attachment comprises an extension member and an engagement member, the engagement member being functionally adapted to be received by and removably retained within the receiver aperture.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the male-style accessory attachment further comprises a surface for mounting the decorative element onto the male-style accessory attachment.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the aperture and the engagement member are each trilobe-shaped.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the receiver comprises a face, the receiver aperture being formed within the face, a cavity below the face, a cavity perimeter and a plurality of shoulders projecting inwardly from the cavity perimeter and wherein the engagement member comprises three lobes, each lobe comprising an underside and an edge, wherein the lobe undersides are capturable beneath the receiver face and the lobe edges are capturable between two of the plurality of shoulders.
6. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a plurality of differently configured decorative elements for interchangeable use of the elements with the footwear item wherein the appearance of the footwear item is customized by a user.
7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the footwear item is a sandal.
8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the accessory attachment is removable for attachment to other clothing or nonclothing items in a decorative fashion, such items incorporating a like-configured trilobe-shaped receiver aperture.
9. A method for using interchangeable decorative elements with a footwear item comprising the steps of:
- providing a footwear item;
- providing a female-style attachment receiver;
- mounting the female-style attachment receiver to the footwear item;
- providing a male-style accessory attachment;
- providing a decorative element;
- mounting a decorative element to the male-style accessory attachment; and
- removably attaching the male-style accessory attachment to the female-style attachment receiver.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the female-style attachment receiver comprises an aperture and the male-style accessory attachment comprises an extension member and an engagement member, the engagement member being functionally adapted to be received by and removably retained within the aperture.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the male-style accessory attachment further comprises a surface for mounting the decorative element onto the male-style accessory attachment.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the aperture and the engagement member are each trilobe-shaped.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the receiver comprises a face, a cavity below the face, the receiver aperture being formed within the face, a cavity perimeter and a plurality of shoulders projecting inwardly from the cavity perimeter and wherein the engagement member comprises three lobes, each lobe comprising an underside and an edge, wherein the lobe undersides are capturable beneath the receiver face and the lobe edges are capturable between two of the plurality of shoulders and further comprising the step of rotating the engagement member within the receiver to capture the lobe undersides below the receiver face and to capture the lobe edges between two of the plurality of shoulders.
14. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of providing a plurality of differently configured decorative elements for interchangeable use of the elements with the footwear item wherein the appearance of the footwear item is customized by a user.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein the footwear item provided is a sandal.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein the accessory attachment is removable for attachment to other clothing or nonclothing items in a decorative fashion, such items incorporating a like-configured trilobe-shaped receiver aperture.
17. A system for using interchangeable decorative elements with an item of footwear comprising:
- a footwear item;
- a female-style attachment receiver mounted to the footwear item;
- a plurality of male-style accessory attachments, each male-style accessory attachment comprising a mounting surface; and
- a plurality of interchangeable decorative elements, each element being secured to or incorporated within the mounting surface of one of the plurality of male-style accessory attachments;
- wherein the appearance of the footwear item is customized by a user.
18. The system of claim 17 wherein the female-style attachment receiver comprises an aperture and the male-style accessory attachment comprises an extension member and an engagement member, the engagement member being functionally adapted to be received by and removably retained within the aperture.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein the aperture and the engagement member are each trilobe-shaped.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the receiver comprises a face, a cavity below the face, the receiver aperture being formed within the face, a cavity perimeter and a plurality of shoulders projecting inwardly from the cavity perimeter and wherein the engagement member comprises three lobes, each lobe comprising an underside and an edge, wherein the lobe undersides are capturable beneath the receiver face and the lobe edges are capturable between two of the plurality of shoulders.
21. The system of claim 17 wherein the footwear item is a sandal.
22. The system of claim 17 wherein the accessory attachment is removable for attachment to other clothing or nonclothing items in a decorative fashion, such items incorporating a like-configured trilobe-shaped receiver aperture.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 1, 2009
Publication Date: Nov 3, 2011
Inventors: Michelle M. Juza (Oneida, WI), Thomas J. Juza (Oneida, WI)
Application Number: 13/128,342