Sandal and strap assembly
A sandal and strap assembly with a sole and a strap portion. The sole has three loop strap retaining members. One loop is located between the user's big toe and second toe. The second and third loops reside on the left and right side of the user's ankle. The sole comprised of a bonded upper and a lower member. Each loop protrudes through a slit in the upper member. The ends of each loop form a T shape which is trapped between the upper and lower sole member. The strap comprised of a single flexible elongate member and is threaded through the first loop in an equidistant manner. The right and left ends of the strap member are threaded through the second and third loops. The remaining ends of the strap are wrapped around the user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.
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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIXNot Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates generally to the field of sandal construction and more specifically to a flip flop type sandal and strap assembly.
Sandals are a common form of footwear and have existed for thousands of years. A more recent form of sandal is known as a flip flop. It is a simple sandal that includes a sole and two straps. One strap travels from a spot located between the user's big toe and second toe and ends at the right side of the user's ankle. The second strap starts from the same location between the user's big toe and second toe and ends at the left side of the user's ankle.
Over the years, various unique modifications and variations of the flip flop have been designed and patented. For example, Shane Kao in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,330 has shown a sandal with removable strap where the sole platform has a plurality of openings that allow a strap to protrude through the opening and be fastened with button members located on the underside of the sole.
However, none of the designs shown in the prior art disclose a flip flop type sandal that can easily and quickly allow the user to install or remove decorative straps to customize the decorative effect of the sandal and the appearance of the tied straps as they appear on user's leg.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe primary object of the invention is to provide a sandal and strap assembly that lets the user customize the strap design that holds the sandal onto the user's foot and leg.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sandal and strap assembly that lets the user quickly remove and replace the strap members to create any one of a multitude of designs.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed sandal and strap assembly comprising: a sole portion, a strap portion, said sole portion having three loop type strap retaining members fixedly attached, the first said strap retaining loop member located in the area between the user's big toe and second toe, the second said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the right side of the user's ankle, the third said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the left side of the user's ankle, said sole portion comprised of an upper member and a lower member, each said loop member protruding through a slit in said upper member, the ends of said loop members spread out into a T shape, said T shape trapped between said upper sole member and said lower sole member when said upper and lower members are bonded together, said strap portion comprised of a single flexible elongate member, said strap member threaded through said first strap retaining loop in an equidistant manner, the right portion of said strap member being threaded through said second strap retaining loop, the left portion of said strap member being threaded through said third strap retaining loop, and the remaining ends of said strap portion being wrapped around the user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
Referring now to
Section line 50 defines the section view shown in
The above drawings shown in
It should also be noted that the number of loops that slidably retain the strap can be more than the three loops 6, 8, 10 shown in the preferred embodiment. For example two additional loops can be placed on either side of the user's heel. These additional loops can help the user create even more diverse strap wrapping designs when applying the strap 20 around the user's leg.
It should be noted that, even though the description above relates to a sandal design, the same technology can also be applied to other sole designs such as a mid height heel or high heel sole or a wedge shaped sole as shown in
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. sandal and strap assembly comprising:
- a sole portion;
- a strap portion;
- said sole portion having three loop type strap retaining members fixedly attached;
- said first said strap retaining loop member located in the area between the user's big toe and second toe;
- said second said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the right side of the user's ankle;
- said third said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the left side of the user's ankle;
- said sole portion comprised of an upper member and a lower member;
- each said loop member protruding through a slit in said upper member;
- each end of each said loop member spread out into a T shape;
- said T shape trapped between said upper sole member and said lower sole member when said upper and said lower members are bonded together;
- said strap portion comprised of a single flexible elongate member;
- said strap member threaded through said first strap retaining loop in an equidistant manner;
- the right portion of said strap member being threaded through said second strap retaining loop;
- the left portion of said strap member being threaded through said third strap retaining loop; and
- the remaining ends of said strap portion being wrapped around a user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.
2. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap portion is constructed of a strip of fabric;
- said fabric folded in half lengthwise;
- said fabric edges sewn together forming a long tubular shape
- said tubular shape turned inside out forming a smooth elongate member.
3. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein an alternate version of said strap construction an approximately two inch wide strip of jersey cotton fabric;
- the left and right elongate edges of said fabric naturally rolling inward toward each other forming a strip with rolled edges.
4. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of a strip of leather.
5. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of flexible plastic.
6. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of metal chain.
7. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side profile of said sandal sole is wedge shaped.
8. An alternated embodiment of said sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein additional said loop type strap retaining members are added to said sole portion giving said user the ability to create additional strap wrapping designs.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 15, 2011
Publication Date: Aug 16, 2012
Inventors: Eleanor Ruth Conner (Los Angeles, CA), Katherine Longley Johnson (Studio City, CA)
Application Number: 12/931,918