Ornamental rivet apparatus especially for clothing or shoes

• US 20070084019A1
• Filed: 03/10/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rob Wilcox, Scott Lockwood
• Original Assignee: Rob Wilcox, Scott Lockwood
• Inventors: Wilcox, Rob, Lockwood, Scott
• Application Number:
  US11/373,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20070084019A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/3.100
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/24 Ornamental buckles; Other ornaments for shoes without fastening function
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/0078 provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration A43B23/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 1/00 Shoe lacing fastenings garment fastening devices A41F
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/24 Ornamental buckles or other ornaments for shoes, with fastening function buckles in general A44B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/13 Article holder attachable to apparel or body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/45775 having resiliently biased interlocking component or segment

Abstract

A decorative fastener for use upon an item to be worn by the user; the item to be worn may be a shoe, an item of clothing (including shirts, hats and caps, or the like), or even a pet collar. The fastener features two parts that may be connected together on opposite sides of the item to be worn, with the item situated between the bottom part and the top part. The fastener also includes an ornament portion attachable temporarily to one side of the top part, there being decoration of any desired type or appearance on the ornament portion. Assortments of different ornament portions are interchangeable for temporary attachment to the top part. A variety of decorations accordingly may selectively be used in combination with the shoe or other item.

Claims

1. A decorative fastener apparatus comprising:

a top portion;

a bottom portion securely engageable to a first side of said top portion; and

an ornament portion removably engageable to a second side of said top portion, there being a decoration upon said ornament portion.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bottom portion is screwably engageable with said top portion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ornament portion is screwably engageable with said top portion.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said top portion comprises:

an intermediate body having a central aperture therein; and

an upper socket extending from said body.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said top portion further comprises:

an intermediate body having a central aperture therein; and

a lower socket extending from said body.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said upper socket defines polygonal exterior radial cross section.

7. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein each of said sockets defines an axial interior passage, said interior passages aligned mutually and with said central aperture, said passages also continuously threaded.

9. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said lower socket defines a cylindrical tube.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bottom portion comprises:

a generally planar base; and

a substantially tubular attachment stem extending from said base.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said attachment stem defines therein a central interior tunnel, and said stem comprises screw threads on its exterior and on its interior.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said ornament portion comprises:

a cap; and

a post extending from said cap.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said post is exteriorly threaded.

15. A decorative fastener mountable upon an item to be worn, said fastener comprising:

a top portion;

a bottom portion engageable to a first side of said top portion with the item situate between said bottom portion and said top portion; and

an ornament portion attachable temporarily to a second side of said top portion, there being decoration on said ornament portion.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said bottom portion comprises:

a base; and

an attachment stem extending perpendicularly from said base.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said base comprises a generally annular disk shape.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said attachment stem comprises:

a tubular cylinder disposed on a central axis of said base;

a central tunnel defined in said cylinder; and

screw threads defined on its exterior;

wherein said exterior screw threads on said attachment stem are configured to permit said stem screwably to engage with said top portion.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said attachment stem further comprises interior screw threads defined in said central tunnel, and wherein further said interior screw threads are complementary to exterior threads defined on a post on said ornament portion, whereby said base may have screwed engagement with said ornament portion.

20. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.

21. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said top portion comprises:

an intermediate generally planar body defining a central aperture through which a post on said ornament portion may extend;

an upper socket extending from one side of said body; and

a lower socket extending from an opposite side of said body.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said upper socket comprises a polygonal radial cross-section.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said upper socket further comprises a threaded interior passage.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said lower socket comprises a substantially cylindrical tube having an inner passage threaded to permit screwed engagement between said top portion and said bottom portion.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said interior passage of said upper socket is threaded continuously with said inner passage of said lower socket, whereby said stem of said bottom portion is screwable into at least a portion of the length of said top portion.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said attachment stem comprises an exterior threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an interior threaded diameter of said lower socket, whereby said stem is screwably engageable with said lower socket until a distal end of said stem contacts said body of said top portion.

27. An apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said post on said ornament portion comprises an outside threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an inside threaded diameter of said stem, whereby said post is screwably engageable with said stem.

28. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached.

29. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said ornament portion comprises:

a cap; and

a post extending from said cap.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said post is exteriorly threaded for screwed engagement into a stem on said bottom portion.

31. An apparatus according to claim 29 further comprising an ornament disposed upon said cap.

44. An apparatus according to claim 29 further comprising an ornament disposed upon said cap.

32. A fastener apparatus permitting a variety of decorations to be used in combination with an item, said apparatus comprising:

a top portion;

a bottom portion engageable to a first side of said top portion with the item situate between said bottom portion and said top portion; and

at least two interchangeable ornament portions with decorations thereon;

wherein any selected one of said ornament portions is temporarily attachable to a second side of said top portion.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32 wherein said bottom portion comprises:

a base; and

an attachment stem extending perpendicularly from said base, said stem comprising;

a tubular cylinder disposed on a central axis of said base;

a central tunnel defined in said cylinder; and

screw threads defined on its exterior;

wherein said exterior screw threads on said attachment stem are configured to permit said stem screwably to engage with said top portion.

34. An apparatus according to claim 33, wherein said attachment stem further comprises interior screw threads defined in said central tunnel, and wherein further said interior screw threads are complementary to exterior threads defined on a post on said ornament portion, whereby said base may have screwed engagement with said ornament portion.

35. An apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said base further comprises an upper surface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said bottom portion and the item to which it is attached.

36. An apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said top portion comprises:

an intermediate generally planar body defining a central aperture through which a post on said ornament portion may extend;

an upper socket extending from one side of said body; and

a lower socket extending from an opposite side of said body.

37. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said upper socket further comprises a threaded interior passage.

38. An apparatus according to claim 36 wherein said lower socket comprises a substantially cylindrical tube having an inner passage threaded to permit screwed engagement between said top portion and said bottom portion.

39. An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein said interior passage of said upper socket is threaded continuously with said inner passage of said lower socket, whereby said stem of said bottom portion is screwable into at least a portion of the length of said top portion.

40. An apparatus according to claim 39 wherein said attachment stem comprises an exterior threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an interior threaded diameter of said lower socket, whereby said stem is screwably engageable with said lower socket until a distal end of said stem contacts said body of said top portion.

41. An apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said post on said ornament portion comprises an outside threaded diameter corresponding and complementary to an inside threaded diameter of said stem, whereby said post is screwably engageable with said stem.

42. An apparatus according to claim 35 wherein said body further comprises an undersurface having an uneven texture to promote frictional engagement between said top portion and the item to which it is attached, and further wherein the item may be clamped between said upper surface of said base and said undersurface of said body.

43. An apparatus according to claim 40 wherein said ornament portion comprises:

a cap; and

a post extending from said cap, said post being exteriorly threaded for screwed engagement into said stem on said bottom portion.