US20110041363A1

US20110041363A1 - Magnetic inter-changeable decoration

Info

Publication number: US20110041363A1
Application number: US12/804,924
Authority: US
Inventors: Robin L. Stanfield; Melissa B. Risher
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-08-04
Filing date: 2010-08-02
Publication date: 2011-02-24

Abstract

A magnetic inter-changeable decoration is for a shoe. The shoe is comprised of a sole and a top. The bottom surface has a periphery and a heel portion. A foot retaining strap is provided. The strap has ends coupled to the sole. A central extent is provided between the ends. Top and bottom faces are provided. A magnetic snap is provided. The snap has an upper magnetic side (female part) and a lower side with prongs. The prongs are inserted into the upper face of the strap. Finally, a decorative item is provided. The decorative item has an upper plane adapted to have decorations and a lower plane having a second magnetic snap (male part) being adapted to releasably couple with the upper side of the first magnetic snap. The first and second magnetic snaps are essentially coextensively in size and able to fit together.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an inter-changeable decoration system and more particularly pertains to providing a plurality of interchangeable decorations for shoes.
2. Description of Prior Art
The use of footwear of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, footwear of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of selectively changing the appearance of apparel through conventional methods and apparatuses are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been develop for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,204 to Phillips discloses a shoe decorative device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,296 to Smith discloses an interchangeable sandal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,612 to Ransbottom discloses an ornamental attachment for a shoe. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,564 to Kettner discloses an interchangeable shoe cover.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a magnetic interchangeable decorations that allows providing a plurality of interchangeable decorations for shoes.
In this respect, the magnetic interchangeable decoration design system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a plurality of magnetic interchangeable surfaces for shoes.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved decorative shoe system which can be used for providing a plurality of interchangeable surfaces for shoes. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of footwear of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides and improved decorative system for shoes. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved magnetic decorative system and a method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a sole in a generally oblong configuration and fabricated of an elastomeric material of a limited extensibility and having a periphery there around, a smooth top surface and a rough bottom surface for traction, a toe portion of a first diameter and a heel portion of a second diameter less then the first diameter, the sole having a first aperture extending there through from the top to the bottom surface of the sole adjacent to the toe portion and a pair of second apertures extending there through from the top to the bottom surface of the sole on opposite sides between the heel portion and the first aperture adjacent to the periphery, the apertures each having an adjacent recessed portion in the bottom surface; a foot retaining strap of an elastomeric material of a limited extensibility, the strap having a top face with the magnetic snap inserted into the top face of the strap, the strap having a generally cylindrical toe end descending from the magnetic (female part) of the snap, the strap further having a central bifurcation and a pair of planar heel ends, the strap ends having a top face and a bottom face, the toe end being adapted to pass through the first aperture of the toe portion and the heel ends being adapted to pass through the respective second apertures in the heel portion, the end portions being coupled to the sole with bulbs adapted to reside within the recess portion adjacent to the apertures; the first magnetic snap (female part) having an upper magnetic side and a lower prong side adapted to be set into the top face of the strap; and a decorative item having an upper plane adapted to have decorations on the top side and a lower plane having a second magnetic snap (male part), essentially coextensive in side and shape with, and adapted to releasably couple with the upper side of the magnetic snap (female part).
There has now been broadly outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a new and improved way to change decorations on a shoe and this invention has all of the advantages of the prior art footwear of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved way to change decorations on a shoe which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices to the consuming public, thereby making such sandal system economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system for providing a plurality of interchangeable decorations for shoes.
Finally, it is the object of the present invention to provide a new and improved magnetic decorating system comprising a sole. The sole has top and bottom surfaces. The bottom surface has a periphery and a heel portion. A foot retaining strap is provided. The strap has ends coupled to the sole. A central extent is provided between the ends. Top and bottom faces are provided. A magnetic snap (female part) is provided. The magnetic snap (female part) has an upper side and lower side with prongs that is fastened into the strap. Finally, a decorative top is provided. The top has an upper plane adapted to have decorations and a lower plane having a second magnetic snap (male part) being adapted to releasably couple with the upper side of the magnetic snap (female part). The upper part of the magnetic snap (female part) and the lower part of the magnetic snap (male part) are essentially coextensive in size.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. To better understand the invention, its advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which the embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a prospective view of decorative footwear and decorative unit constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention as it would appear in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the decorative unit of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the decorative unit taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the decorative footwear and decorative unit constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention as it appears in use for similar decorative footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Turning now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate corresponding elements through out the several views, attention is first directed to FIG. 1 in which is seen footwear 10 having surface 11. Footwear 10 further includes foot surface 12 and center strap 13 that splits into strap 14 and strap 15 that reconnect to surface 12 at point 16 and point 17. Also seen is decorative unit 20. A snap, embodying the principles of the present invention and generally designated by the reference 30, pivotally secures decorative unit 20 to strap 13. Housing unit 50, also seen, further secures decorative unit 20 to snap 30.
As further viewed in FIG. 2, decorative unit 20 pivotally connects to snap 30 via housing unit 50. Decorative unit 20 includes upper surface 21, lower surface 22 and snap top 23. Snap 30 includes upper surface 24, snap body 25 which carries a magnet 26, lower surface 27 which attaches to the intersection of strap 13, strap 14 and strap 15 with 2 prongs, prong 28 and prong 29. Also depicted, housing unit 50 includes upper surface 31, inner surface 32 and lower surface 33 and attaches to snap 30 via sliding above upper surface 24 and between lower surface 27 and strap 13.
Referring now to FIG. 3, it is seen that decorative unit 20 is pivotally connected to snap 30 via housing unit 50. Also illustrated in FIG. 3 is prong 28 attaching to the intersection of center strap 13 and strap 14 and is illustrated as a front elevation view along line 3-3 in FIG. 1.
As depicted in FIG. 4, snap 30 attaches to center strap 13 via prong 28 and prong 29 and is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a sectional view along line 4-4.
FIG. 5 illustrates footwear 40 having top surface 31. Footwear 40 further includes side wall 32 and bottom surface 33. A snap 30, embodying the principles of the present invention, pivotally secures decorative unit 20 to top surface 31 via housing unit 50. Also seen is decorative unit 20. Footwear 40 is made from flexible material such as rubber, canvas or leather. Examples include loafers, high heels and boots.

Claims

1. A sandal system for providing a plurality of interchangeable magnetic decorative items, in combination: a sole in a generally oblong configuration and fabricated of an elastomeric material of a limited extensibility and having a periphery there around, a smooth top surface and a rough bottom surface for traction, a toe portion of a first diameter and a heel portion of a second diameter less then the first diameter, the sole having a first aperture extending there through from the top to the bottom surface of the sole adjacent to the toe portion and a pair of second apertures extending there through from the top to the bottom surface of the sole on opposite sides between the heel portion and the first aperture adjacent to the periphery, the apertures each having an adjacent recessed portion in the bottom surface; a foot retaining strap of an elastomeric material of a limited extensibility, the strap having a top face with the magnetic snap inserted into the top face of the strap, the strap having a generally cylindrical toe end descending from the magnetic (female part) of the snap, the strap further having a central bifurcation and a pair of planar heel ends, the strap ends having a top face and a bottom face, the toe end being adapted to pass through the first aperture of the toe portion and the heel ends being adapted to pass through the respective second apertures in the heel portion, the end portions being coupled to the sole with bulbs adapted to reside within the recess portion adjacent to the apertures; the first magnetic snap (female part) having an upper magnetic side and a lower prong side adapted to be set into the top face of the strap; and a decorative item having an upper plane adapted to have decorations on the top side and a lower plane having a second magnetic snap (male part), essentially coextensive in side and shape with, and adapted to releasably couple with the upper side of the magnetic snap (female part).