EP0992207A1

EP0992207A1 - Pairing device for footwear units

Info

Publication number: EP0992207A1
Application number: EP99500168A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ernesto Segarra Tormo
Original assignee: Ernesto Segarra SA
Current assignee: Ernesto Segarra SA
Priority date: 1998-10-02
Filing date: 1999-09-20
Publication date: 2000-04-12
Also published as: ES1041422U; ES1041422Y

Abstract

A pairing device for footwear units, devised for maintaining the two footwear units (1, 2) which constitute a pair of shoes, slippers, boots and the like joined together, to the extent that said units (1, 2) may be associated together by size, foot, colour, ornamentation, material or other circumstances which inseparably relate them at a point of sale, and which is formed by an elongate resilient and/or articulated binding member (3) having at the ends thereof connecting means (5) connectable to respective anchorage point arrangements (4) each provided on one of the footwear units (1, 2).

Description

The invention relates to a pairing device for footwear units, precisely one devised for maintaining the two footwear units comprising a pair of shoes, slippers, boots and the like joined together, to the extent that such two units may be associated together by size, foot (left and right), colour, ornamentation, material or other circumstances which inseparably relate them at a point of sale.
The footwear units of one same pair of shoes, slippers, etc are usually only physically related by housing each pair in a container which receives them fairly loosely, without this allowing a third unit to be contained, such as are the different types of boxes and bags.
Nevertheless, for certain types of footwear, such as heavy ski boots, pairing devices are known which hold the boots by the sole thereof, such that these hang face to face, at the same time as they are provided with a handle, allowing them to be carried.
On the other hand, another known practice for joining footwear units to form pairs is to tie them together by the laces, by engaging the buckle of one unit with the strap of the other, etc.
In all the above listed cases, with the exception of the ski boots, where the pairing device has been specifically devised for such purpose, the means used to attach both footwear units together are quite random and have not been devised for such purpose, it so happening that many types of footwear lack such tying and fastening means, such as moccasins, the majority of ladies' shoes, household slippers, etc.
Thus, at a point of sale, it may happen that one footwear unit is inadvertently placed in the box or bag of another unit of different features, which means that a second box will have disparate footwear units, a fact which, if not detected when the event takes place, may cause problems and time-consuming searches among a multitude of boxes.
With a view to avoiding these problems and ensuring that the footwear units of one same pair remain paired together, without being an obstacle to the purchaser trying the footwear on, at the same time as a new way of presenting footwear is achieved, the solution has been adopted whereby both footwear units, forming a pair, are attached together at the works by means which allow the units to be moved apart for trying-on purposes by the purchaser, the placement of the pair in a box or bag and the easy separation of both units by the user when being used for the first time, as a type of guarantee seal.
In accordance with such premises, the footwear unit pairing device of the invention has been developed. It is formed by an elongate resilient and/or articulated binding member which is provided at one of the ends thereof with connecting means connectable to respective anchorage point arrangements each provided on one of the footwear units of a pair of shoes, slippers or the like.
The invention contemplates the possibility of the elongate binding member being formed by a thread-like body or a body formed by links, or a combination of both, which has its ends provided with connecting means.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the anchorage point arrangements of the footwear units comprise through holes formed in the sole of the footwear units in such a way as not to affect the watertightness of the footwear. The holes are preferably formed in sloping fashion in the heel area of the sole, such that they start on the outside and open into the sewing channel prepared on the sole.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the anchorage point arrangements of the footwear units consist of appendices which are fixedly attached to the sole of the footwear units and are provided with anchorage means mating with the connecting means of the binding member.
According to the invention the connecting means provided at the ends of the binding member are formed by a small cross member forming a small "T'-shaped extension with which each of said ends terminates.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the connecting means and the anchorage point arrangements form a press-stud-like fastening system, which is arranged to be hard to release. On the contrary, the appendices forming the anchorage points are easily separated from the footwear units simply by cutting or tearing them.
The invention also contemplates that the binding member may be provided with a widened portion, either by forming the constituent material of the body thereof, or by including an added piece, appropriate in both cases for containing information (trademark, size, type, etc.).
To facilitate an understanding of the foregoing ideas, the object of the invention is described hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings, in which:
Figure 1 schematically shows a pair of shoes provided with the pairing device of the invention, whereby two footwear units are attached together.
Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the pairing device of the invention.
Figure 3 is a cross section view of a detail of one embodiment of the anchorage points contemplated in the footwear units.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the positioning of the pairing device in the anchorage point arrangement of the previous figure.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the anchorage point arrangement shown in association with three possible arrangements of the connecting means of the binding device.
The objective of the invention is that two footwear units, left 1 and right 2, may be inseparably attached together up to the point of sale, at which point, after being acquired by the purchaser, they may be easily separated for use.
The foregoing attachment of two, left 1 and right 2, footwear units is made possible by a pairing device which is formed by the association of a binding member 3 and anchorage point arrangements 4 provided on both footwear units 1 and 2.
The binding member 3, which is preferably elongate, is provided at the ends thereof with connecting means 5 which are engageable with the anchorage point arrangements 4 of respective left 1 and right 2 footwear units.
The binding member 3 may consist of a resilient thread-like body of any cross section (circular, rectangular, tubular, etc.), compact or filamentary (cord, string, etc.), elastic or unextendable (coiled, waved, stepped, bifilar, etc) or of a chain-like body, such as a ring chain, a chain of articulated links, etc.
The ends of the said binding member 3 are provided with the connecting means 5, which may consist of a "T' shaped widening, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, an arrow head, a harpoon head, a ring, a ball, etc, and, even, may be formed by a gripper.
The anchorage point arrangements 4 provided on the left 1 and right 2 footwear units may consist of through holes 7, formed in the sole in such as way as not to affect the watertightness thereof and sloping as shown in Figure 3, starting on the outside and opening on the inside in the sewing channel 8 arranged in the sole to house the "T" shaped widening, as shown in Figure 4, or, of appendices 9 fixedly attached to the sole, in which there are situated the anchorage point arrangements 4 mating with the connecting means 5 of the binding member 3, as shown in Figure 5.
These appendices 9 may be easily removed by cutting or tearing, and may consist of simple tabs provided with a hole, as shown in Figure 5, or rings, loops, etc.
The connecting means 5 of the binding member 3 may be such as to form with the anchorage point arrangements 4 a press-stud-like fastening system, as shown in Figure 5.
It is obvious that the forms described for the connecting means 5 may be adopted for the anchorage point arrangements 4 and those of the latter for the former.
On the other hand, the binding member 3 may be provided with a widening 10, either by shaping of the material, or by including an added piece, appropriate for containing information, such as a trade mark, type, size, etc.
The invention also contemplates that the binding member 3 may be provided with connecting means 5 in the form of grippers which may be attached to any point of the footwear unit, such as the heel, the tongue, etc.
Likewise, such connecting means 5 may have adhesive features appropriate fore the sole or other part of the footwear unit, which may be prepared to receive such connecting means 5, or magnetic features, etc., provided always that they allow a pair of footwear units to be bound together, in a way that may be undone only at the time of the first use, as a form of guarantee seal.

Claims

A pairing device for footwear units, devised for maintaining the two footwear units (1, 2) which constitute a pair of shoes, slippers and the like joined together, to the extent that such two units (1, 2) may be associated together by size, foot, colour, ornamentation, material or other circumstances which inseparably relate them at a point of sale, characterized in that it is formed by an elongate resilient and/or articulated binding member (3), said binding member (3) having at the ends thereof connecting means (5) connectable to respective anchorage point arrangements (4), each provided on one of the footwear units (1, 2) of a pair of shoes, slippers or the like.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said binding member (3) is formed by a resilient, elongate thread-like body (6), having respective connecting means (5) at both ends thereof.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said binding member (3) is formed by an arrangement formed by links, having respective connecting means (5) at both ends thereof.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage point arrangements (4) of the footwear units (1, 2) consist of through holes (7) formed in the sole of the footwear units (1,2) in such as way as not to affect the watertightness of the footwear.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said anchorage point arrangements (4) of the footwear units (1, 2) consist of appendices (9) fixedly attached to the sole of the footwear units (1, 2), which are provided with anchorage point arrangements (4) mating with said connecting means (5) of said binding member (3).
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 4, characterized in that said holes (7) are slopingly formed in the heel region of the sole, in such a way that they start on the outside and open into the sewing channel (8) arranged in the sole.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said connecting means (5) provided at the ends of said binding member (3) are formed by a small cross member forming a small "T"-shaped extension with which each of said ends terminates.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said connecting means (5) and said anchorage point arrangements (4) form a snap fastening system.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 5, characterized in that said appendices (9) forming said anchorage point arrangements (4) may be easily separated by cutting or tearing them.
The footwear unit pairing device of claim 1, characterized in that said binding member (3) may be provided with a widened portion (10) at one point along its length, appropriate for containing information.