Abstract:
A shoe having a one-piece connector attaching a strap to the shoe and method of construction the same is provided. The shoe has: a sole; an upper portion extending from the sole with an aperture defined in the upper portion; a strap with a strap aperture defined in an end of the strap; and a one-piece connector having a shaft, an inner head fixed to a first end of the shaft and an outer head fixed to a second end of the shaft. The connector secures the strap to the upper portion of the shoe by the shaft extending through the aperture and the strap aperture. Material surrounding the apertures is elastic to allow diameters of the apertures to be temporarily stretched allowing the inner head of the connector to pass through the apertures before the diameters of the apertures contract, holding the connector in place.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/786,192, filed Mar. 27, 2006. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     This invention is in the field of footwear and more particularly an apparatus and method of attaching a strap to footwear using one-piece connectors.  
         [0003]     Various types of footwear are held on a foot of a wearer using a strap that wraps around a heel of the user. This strap, in many cases, is connected to a main or upper portion of the footwear with a pair of two-piece rivets; one of two-piece rivets attaching each end of the strap to the main or upper portion of the footwear piece.  
         [0004]     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,858 teaches the use of a two-piece rivet with a male and female portion, in order to attach a strap to the rest of a piece of footwear. This document teaches the construction of a molded piece of footwear. First, the shoe and strap section are molded and perforations are made in the shoe and strap. Next, a pair of two-piece rivets are then inserted through the apertures to attach the strap to the shoe. A male part of the two-piece rivet is inserted through a perforation in the shoe and a perforation in the strap and then a female part of the two piece rivet is snapped into place to attach the strap to the shoe.  
         [0005]     The problem with using a two-piece rivet is that there is a weakness in the two-piece rivet at the point were the two pieces snap together, i.e. what is snapped together can be unsnapped. Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,858 teaches that the two-piece rivet can be made of plastic or made from some other material such as metal or rubber, whatever material these two-piece rivets are made out of, the material cannot be so rigid that the two-piece rivet will not snap together. Because of this limitation that the material used must be elastic enough to allow the two-piece rivet snap together, the rivet can be snapped apart causing the strap to detach from the shoe. Additionally, the snap mechanism that allows the two-pieces of the rivet to snap together, is by necessity weaker than a solid shaft would be, allowing the two-piece rivet to break more easily. If the two-piece rivet is made of a material that is too strong and rigid to try to prevent the two-piece rivet snapping apart or breaking, the two-piece rivet will not snap together.  
         [0006]     Because, the strength and rigidity of the material that the two-piece rivet is made out of is limited by the amount of force necessary to snap the two-pieces together, there is always a limitation in the material used for the two-piece rivet and there is a trade-off between the strength of the material being used to make the two-piece rivet and the ability to snap the two-pieces together. Additionally, there is an inherent weakness in the two-piece rivet as a result of the snap mechanism having to be used. Because the two-piece rivet is used to secure a foot of a person in the footwear, substantial forces and stress are placed on the two-piece rivet and it is common for these two-piece rivets to unsnap or break.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     The present disclosure is directed to a piece of footwear and method of manufacturing the piece of footwear using a single piece that overcomes problems in the prior art.  
         [0008]     In a first aspect, a footwear piece is provided. The footwear piece has a sole; an upper portion extending from the sole and having a rear opening operative to receive a foot of a user and a footwear aperture defined in a back part of the upper portion, wherein a first material defining the footwear aperture has a first thickness and is elastic such that a diameter of the footwear aperture can be increased by stretching; a strap having a first end, a second end and a strap aperture defined in the first end of the strap, wherein a second material defining the strap aperture has a second thickness and is elastic such that a diameter of the strap aperture can be increased by stretching; and a connector having a shaft with a length substantially equal to a total of the first thickness plus the second thickness, an inner head fixedly connected to a first end of the shaft and an outer head fixedly connected to a second end of the shaft. The connector secures the first end of the strap to the upper portion by the shaft extending through the footwear aperture and the strap aperture.  
         [0009]     In as second aspect, a method of attaching a strap to a footwear piece using a connector is provided. The method comprises: providing a connector having a shaft, an inner head fixedly connected to a first end of the shaft and an outer head fixedly connected to a second end of the shaft; aligning a footwear aperture defined in a back part of an upper portion of the footwear piece with a strap aperture defined at an end of the strap; stretching the strap aperture and the footwear aperture to allow the inner head of the connector to pass through the footwear aperture and strap aperture; passing the inner head of the connector through the footwear aperture and strap aperture; and once the inner head of the connector has passed through the footwear aperture and the strap aperture, allowing a diameter of the footwear aperture and a diameter of the strap aperture to contract to a size less than a diameter of the inner head of the connector.  
         [0010]     In one aspect, a piece of footwear comprising a main and a strap is provided. The main portion comprises a sole and an upper. The sole cushions a bottom of a foot of a wearer and the upper portion keeps the foot of the wearer positioned against the sole. The strap is pivotally connected to the upper portion of the footwear piece and when worn across a back of a foot of the wearer, holds the foot of the wearer in the upper portion of the piece of footwear.  
         [0011]     A first pair of apertures is positioned near a back of the upper portion. This first pair of apertures corresponds to a second pair of apertures located near ends of the strap. The material surrounding the first and second pair of apertures is sufficiently elastic so that the apertures can be temporarily stretched, increasing the size of the apertures. A pair of single-piece connectors are used to attach the strap to the upper portion of the piece of footwear, with each connector passing through one of the apertures on an end of the strap section and one of the apertures on the upper of the footwear so that the pair of one-piece connectors pivotally attach the strap to the main portion of the piece of footwear.  
         [0012]     The connectors are formed as a single piece. They are not made of a number of pieces meant to be snapped together to form the connector or unsnapped. Rather than needing to be snapped together in order to attach the strap to the upper portion of the piece of footwear, the material around the apertures is stretched to increase the size of the apertures so that a head of the connector will pass through the aperture and then the aperture is allowed to return to its original size, with the connector attaching the strap to the upper portion of the piece of footwear. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]     While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:  
         [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a piece of footwear in accordance with the present disclosure;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is top view of a main portion of the piece of footwear illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is side view a strap portion of the piece of footwear illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of a one-piece connector in a first aspect;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4B  is a perspective view of the one-piece connector of  FIG. 4A  from another end with a design on an outer surface of an outer head;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4C  is a perspective view of another aspect of a connector where an outer head is a decorative object;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4D  is a perspective view of another aspect of a connector that is attachable to a decorative object;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of a piece of footwear of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the footwear piece of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7  is a section view of a portion of the footwear piece where a connector attaches the strap to the upper portion of the footwear piece; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a piece of footwear in accordance with the present disclosure. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a piece of footwear  10 , in accordance with the present disclosure. Footwear  10  comprises a main portion  12 , a strap  14  and a pair of one-piece connectors  16 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  illustrates the main portion  12  of the piece of footwear  10 . The main portion  12  comprises a sole  22  and an upper portion  24  with a rear opening  18 . In some embodiments, sole  22  and upper portion  24  are integrally molded so that sole  22  and upper portion  24  are molded in a single piece. In those embodiments, the entire main portion  12  can be molded in a foam material. In other embodiments sole  22  and upper portion  24  are constructed separately, and upper portion  24  is attached to sole  22  during construction, allowing sole  22  and upper portion  24  to be made of different materials, i.e. a soft material for the upper  24  and a more durable material for the sole  22 .  
         [0027]     Upper portion  24  is constructed to receive the front of a foot of a person and can be open at the toes or closed at the toes. Upper portion  24  can also have perforations for decoration or utility and in some embodiments upper portion  24  is made up of a number of straps, such as a sandal.  
         [0028]     Rear opening  18  is sized to allow a foot of a user to pass through the rear opening  18  and into the upper portion  24 .  
         [0029]     Positioned near a back part of the upper portion  24  of the footwear piece  10  near the rear opening  18  are a first footwear aperture  26  and a second footwear aperture  28 . The material surrounding the first footwear aperture  26  and second footwear aperture  28  is elastic so that the first footwear aperture  26  and second footwear aperture  28  can be temporarily stretched larger to increase the size of the first footwear aperture  26  and second footwear aperture  28 .  
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates a strap  14 . Strap  14  has a first strap aperture  36  and a second strap aperture  38  positioned at each end of the strap  14 . The strap  14  is constructed so that the material surrounding the first strap aperture  36  and second strap aperture  38  is elastic, allowing the first strap aperture  36  and second aperture  38  to be temporarily stretched larger to temporarily increase the size of the first strap aperture  36  and second strap aperture  38 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a one-piece connector  16 . Connector  16  has an inner head  42  and an outer head  44  attached to each end of a shaft  46 . Inner head  42  and outer head  44  are solidly fixed to the shaft  16  so that inner head  42  and outer head  44  are not removable. Typically, the inner head  32  and outer head  44  are solidly fixed to the shaft  46  by the entire connector  16  being molded in an integral piece, although the inner head  42  and outer head  44  could also be welded or attached to the shaft  46  by another means. Because inner head  42  and outer head  44  are not meant to be removed from the shaft  46 , the connector  16  can be made of a sufficient rigid and strong material, such as metal or very hard plastic, that is not elastic, to reduce the likelihood that either the inner head  42  and outer head  44  will separate from the shaft  46 .  
         [0032]      FIG. 4B  shows a perspective view of the connector  16  from the outer end. In one aspect, a design  47  can be provided on an outer surface  48  of the outer head  44 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 4C  shows a perspective view of a connector  56 . Connector  56  has an inner head  42  and a shaft  46 , however, outer head  58  is a decorative object, such as a logo, animal, shape, etc. (in this case it is a daisy).  
         [0034]      FIG. 4D  shows a perspective view of a connector  66 . Connector  66  has an inner head  42  and a shaft  46 , however, outer head  68  has an attachment device  67  on an outside surface  69  of the outer head  68 . The attachment device  67  comprises in one embodiment an aperture. A decorative object  72  containing a design is provided that can be removably attached to the attachment device  67  with a tab  74  that mates with the attachment device  67  and will hold the decorative object  72  on the outside surface  69  of the connector  66 .  
         [0035]     In this manner, a user can select a decorative object  72  of his or her choice and connect it to the connector  66 , allowing a user to alter the appearance of the connector  66 , without having to replace the connector  66 . When a user wishes to switch the look of the connector  66 , he or she can choose a different decorative object  72  and attach it to the connector  66 .  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exploded front view of the piece of footwear  10 . The strap  14  is pivotally connected to the upper portion  24  of the main portion  12  using a pair of one-piece connectors  16 A,  16 B. A first connector  16 A is positioned so that the shaft  46 A of the first connector  16 A passes through the first footwear aperture  26  on the upper portion  24  and the first strap aperture  36  on the strap  14 ; with the first head  42 A and second head  44 A maintaining the connector  16 A in place on the piece of footwear  10 . A second connector  16 B is positioned through the second footwear aperture  28  on the upper portion  24  and the second strap aperture  38  on the strap  14 , so that the first head  42 B and the second head  44 B of the second connector  16 B hold the shaft  46 B in the second footwear aperture  28  of the upper portion  24  and the second strap aperture  38  of the strap  14 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 6  illustrates a side view of the footwear piece  10 . A user would wear the piece of footwear  10  by slipping his or her foot into the upper portion  24  of the main portion  12  and slipping the strap  14  over a back of a heel on his or her foot. The strap  14  is positioned across the rear opening  18  of the upper portion  24  and the strap  14  contacts a heel of the user and holds the foot of the user in the piece of footwear  10 . In order for the piece of footwear  10  to remain on the foot of a user, the strap  14  could be sufficiently elastic to allow the user to temporarily stretch the strap  14  over the heel of the user so that when the user stops stretching, the strap  14  rests snugly against the heel of the user. In a further embodiment, the strap portion  14  can comprises a tensioning component (not shown), such as a hook and loop fastener like one sold under the trade designation of VELCRO, to allow the user to adjust the strap  14  snugly against the heel of the user.  
         [0038]      FIG. 7  illustrates a section view of the connector  16  positioned in the piece of footwear  10  along section line A, A′ in  FIG. 6 . Material defining the footwear aperture  26  has a thickness, a. Material defining the strap aperture  36  has a thickness, b. In order to accommodate the thickness, a, of the material surrounding the footwear aperture  26  and the thickness, b, of the material surrounding the strap aperture  36 , the shaft  46  of the connector  16  has a length, L, substantially equal to the thickness, a, of the material surrounding the footwear aperture  26  plus the thickness, b, of the material surrounding the strap aperture  36 . While L is substantially equal to the thickness, a, and thickness, b, L may be slightly larger than these two thicknesses to allow the strap  14  to pivot easily around the point of attachment to the upper portion  24  or, alternatively, length, L, could be slightly less than the two thickness, a and b, to create friction between the inner head  42 , outer head  46 , the material of the footwear aperture  26  and the material of the strap aperture  36 .  
         [0039]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the manufacturing method for constructing a shoe or footwear piece. The method  100  comprises the steps of: constructing the main portion  110 ; constructing the strap  112 ; perforating the main portion  114 ; perforating the strap  116 ; aligning the perforated apertures in the main portion and strap  118 ; stretching the apertures  120 ; inserting one-piece connectors through the stretched apertures  122 ; and allowing the apertures to return to their substantially unstretched shape  124 .  
         [0040]     The construction of the footwear begins with the construction of the main portion  110 . If the main portion is molded in one piece, the main portion is integrally molded at this step. Alternatively, if the main portion  110  is made of a number of different pieces, the different pieces can be molded separately or constructed separately at this point and attached together to form the main portion. The main portion is constructed such that material surrounding an area where perforations will be made in step  114  is sufficiently elastic to allow the eventual apertures to be temporarily stretched larger.  
         [0041]     The strap is constructed at step  112 . If the strap portion is formed of molded material, the strap is molded at step  112 . Alternatively, if the strap is made of several pieces, the pieces can be assembled at this point. The strap is constructed such that the material used around the ends is sufficiently elastic so that apertures made in this material at step  116  can be stretched to make the apertures temporarily larger.  
         [0042]     At step  114 , a pair of perforations are made in the main portion to form an aperture on either side of the main portion where the strap potion will be attached to the main portion and at step  116  a pair of perforations are made in the strap, with a perforation located near each end of the strap which form a strap aperture at each end of the strap.  
         [0043]     To connect the strap to the footwear piece steps  118 ,  120 ,  122  and  125  are followed. The strap can be connected at any time after the strap and main portion are constructed. At step  118 , the footwear apertures in the main portion are aligned with the strap apertures in the strap and these footwear and strap apertures are stretched at step  120 . With the apertures stretched from step  120 , one-piece connectors are inserted through the stretched apertures, at step  122 , with the stretched apertures clearing an inner head of the connectors.  
         [0044]     After the one-piece connectors have been inserted through the stretched apertures at step  122 , the apertures are allowed to return to their unstretched shape, at step  124 , causing the one-piece connectors to be held in place in the footwear and strap apertures.  
         [0045]     In this manner, a strap can be attached to a footwear piece using one-piece connectors to pivotally attach a strap to a main portion of the footwear piece. By using one-piece connectors the one-piece connectors can be constructed of a fairly rigid and strong material increasing their durability.  
         [0046]     The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.