Novelty shoe with detachable ornamental article

• US 5,673,501 A
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SRL Incorporated (H.U. Group Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SRL Incorporated (H.U. Group Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mathews, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, B.
• Application Number:
  US08/619,264
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 36/132, 36/136, 36/45, 36/112, 36/1, 40/636, 63/1.1, 63/2
• US Class Current: 36/136
• 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

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a shoe with a sole and upper, a toy element, and a snap attachment assembly consisting of cooperating male and female components. The female component is attached to the shoe. The cooperating male component is attached to the ornamental article, which is thus removably assembled with the shoe by cooperative, snap engagement of the female and cooperating male components of the snap attachment assembly. In preferred embodiments, one or several ornamental articles are interchangeably displayed on shoes and on fashion display accessories, e.g., bracelets, barrettes, chains and pendants.

Claims

1. Footwear comprising:

a shoe having a sole and an upper mounted on the sole,

an ornamental article defining a primary decorative display surface, and

a snap attachment assembly for releasable attachment of said ornamental article upon a surface of said shoe, said snap attachment assembly comprising,

a female component fixedly secured to said upper of said shoe and defining a secondary decorative display surface exposed when said ornamental article is removed, said female component comprising,

a female body portion formed of a resilient material and defining an attachment aperture extending through said female body portion, the resilient material of said female body portion component circumferentially surrounding and defining said attachment aperture defined by a continuous encircling first edge in a region of said secondary decorative display surface and a continuous encircling second edge spaced from said encircling first edge and from said secondary decorative display surface, and

an elongated cooperating male component having a male body portion comprising a shaft mounted to extend from a rear surface of said ornamental article and terminating in an enlarged tip portion spaced from said rear surface, said enlarged tip portion of said elongated cooperating male component sized for releasable snap fit engagement with, and disengagement from, said attachment aperture of said female component by application of axially-directed force,

said shaft being sized relative to said attachment aperture for a close fit, thereby to resist dislodging radial movement of said male component relative to said female component during movement of the shoe, and

said enlarged tip portion being spaced from said rear surface, whereby, upon mounting of said male component upon said female component, with said shaft portion engaged within said attachment aperture, said enlarged tip portion is disposed to at least extend into said encircling second edge, interengagement of said encircling second edge with said enlarged tip portion serving to further resist accidental dislodgement of said male component from said female component.

2. The footwear of claim 1 wherein said upper comprises an outer layer defining a display aperture, and said female body portion of said female component of said snap attachment assembly comprises a disc-shaped member extending beneath said outer layer, with said attachment aperture exposed within said display aperture.

3. The footwear of claim 2 wherein said female component of said snap attachment assembly is secured, with said disc-shaped member extending beneath said outer layer and said attachment aperture exposed within said display aperture, by stitching to said upper.

4. The footwear of claim 2 wherein said secondary decorative display surface of said female component and said display aperture have predetermined complementary shapes.

5. An ornamental article and display assembly comprising:

a shoe including a sole and an upper mounted on the sole,

a plurality of ornamental articles each defining a primary decorative display surface,

a fashion display accessory, and

a snap attachment assembly for releasable attachment of one of said ornamental articles upon a surface of said shoe and fashion display accessory, said snap attachment assembly comprising,

a first female component fixedly secured to said upper of said shoe and defining a secondary decorative display surface exposed when one of said ornamental articles is removed, said first female component comprising

a first female body portion formed of a resilient material and defining an attachment aperture extending through said first female body portion, the resilient material of said female body portion component circumferentially surrounding and defining said attachment aperture defined by a continuous encircling first edge in a region of said secondary decorative display surface and a continuous encircling second edge spaced from said encircling first edge and from said secondary decorative display surface,

a second female component fixedly secured to said fashion display accessory and defining a third display surface exposed when one of said ornamental articles is removed, said second female component having a second female body portion formed of a resilient material and defining an attachment aperture extending through said second female body portion, the resilient material of said female body portion component circumferentially surrounding and defining said attachment aperture, with an encircling third edge in a region of said secondary decorative display surface, and an encircling fourth edge spaced from said encircling third edge and from said secondary decorative display surface, and

an elongated cooperating male component having a male body portion comprising a shaft mounted to extend from a rear surface of said ornamental article and terminating in an enlarged tip portion spaced from said rear surface, said enlarged tip portion of said elongated cooperating male component sized for releasable snap fit engagement with, and disengagement from, said attachment aperture of said first and second female components by application of axially-directed force, said shaft being sized relative to said attachment aperture for a close fit, thereby to resist dislodging radial movement of said male component relative to said first and second female components during movement of the shoe, and

said enlarged tip portion being spaced from said rear surface, whereby, upon mounting of said male component upon said first and second female components and with said shaft portion engaged within said attachment aperture, said enlarged tip portion is disposed to at least extend into said encircling second and fourth edges of said first and second female components, respectively, interengagement of said encircling second and fourth edges with said enlarged tip portion serving to further resist accidental dislodgement of said male component from said first and second female components, respectively,

whereby ornamental articles removably attached to said shoe and to said fashion display accessory by cooperative engagement between said male and first and second female components of said snap attachment assembly are interchangeable.

6. The ornamental article and display assembly of claim 5 wherein said fashion display accessory comprises a pendant and chain.

7. The ornamental article and display assembly of claim 5 wherein said fashion display accessory comprises a barrette.

8. The ornamental article and display assembly of claim 5 wherein said fashion display accessory comprises a bracelet.

9. The ornamental article and display assembly of claim 5 wherein said fashion display accessory defines a plurality of display apertures.