Patent Publication Number: US-4733439-A

Title: Fastener for shoes

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Summary of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a fastener combination for shoes including abutting or overlapping elastic strips each of which are connected between spaced apart eyelets of the shoe. In particular the present invention provides the strips with unitary indicia provided on at least two of the strips. 
     (2) Prior Art 
     The prior art has shown elastic laces which are stretched between spaced apart eyelets of a shoe. Illustrative of such fasteners are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,144,621 and 4,210,983 to Green. Other related patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,004,702 to Luttmann; 2,069,083 to Adamson; 2,082,537 to Butler; 2,824,351 to Webb; 3,533,172 to Jones; 3,701,572 to Velasquez; and 3,931,686 to Rathbun. None of these patents describe strips which are joined together with indicia forming a unitary design. Various holding means for the laces are described in these patents, some of which are expensive to manufacture. 
     OBJECTS 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new shoe fastener combination. Further it is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe fastener combination which provides a unitary design in the form of advertising, pictures or the like. Further still it is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe fastener combination which is simple and economical to manufacture. These and other objects will become increasingly apparent by reference to the following description and the drawings. 
    
    
     IN THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe 100 on a foot 103 (dotted lines) with multiple abutting strips 11 to 15 mounted on the shoe 100 and particularly showing indicia 20a to 20e on each strip which combine together to form a unitary design. 
     FIG. 2 shows the strips 11 to 15 prior to mounting on the shoe 100 and particularly showing the indicia 20a to 20e which combine together to form the design of FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 shows one of the strips 11 with fabric connectors (Velcro) 16 and 17 on extensions 11c to 15c which join together to form a loop 19 as shown in FIG. 4. 
     FIG. 4 shows the loop 19 in tension through an eyelet (shown in dotted lines) and held in place by a pin 18 such that the pin is held in place even when a foot is not in the shoe 100. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one method of mounting the pin 18 in the shoe 100. 
     FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view through an eyelet 101 showing the pin 18 mounted in loop 19. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the strips 11 to 15 shown in FIG. 1 overlapping to form a unitary design 21 with a display board 102 shown in broken lines. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing means for mounting a hook 31 on a strip 30 adapted to mount through an eyelet 101. 
     FIG. 9 is a front cross-sectional view showing the hook 31 mounted in the eyelet 101. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a wire hook 41 mounted through an eyelet 101 and held in place by pin 42 inside the shoe 100. 
     FIG. 11 shows a strap 50 of an elastic material with a rivet 51 having a head 51a which snaps into an eyelet 101 of a shoe. 
    
    
     GENERAL DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates to a shoe fastener combination which extends between spaced apart eyelets on either side of a tongue of the shoe the improvement which comprises multiple elongate flat strips of an elastic material having opposed sides which extend across the shoe between opposed ends to be positioned adjacent the eyelets, wherein the sides of the strips abut or overlap each other on the sides when on the shoe; indicia which combine together to form a unitary image across at least two of the multiple strips when a foot is in the shoe; and holding means mounted on the ends of each of the strips which engage the eyelets so that the strips are in tension when the foot is placed in the shoe. It is preferred that the holding means are loops in tension through the eyelets held in place by pins. 
     SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a shoe 100 with a tongue 101a, preferably a tennis shoe, supporting a foot 103 (dotted lines) with multiple strips 11 to 15 mounted on the shoe 100 as if the foot 103 was in the shoe 100. Each of the individual strips 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 combine together so that the sides 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a are abutted together as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 or overlap as shown in FIG. 7. Each of the strips 11 to 15 has opposed ends 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b with integral extensions 11c, 12c, 13c, 14c and 15c. The extensions 11c to 15c each have fabric (Velcro) connectors 16 and 17 as shown in FIG. 3 which combine together to form a loop 19 as shown in FIG. 4 surrounding a pin 18. Any other convenient method can be used to form the loop 19 such as sewing or gluing the extensions 11c  to 15c to form the loop 19a to 19e (FIG. 1). 
     As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the eyelet 101 of the shoe 100 receives the extension 11c (or 12c to 15c) and is wrapped around the pin 18. Alternatively the loop 19 of FIG. 4 can be formed, inserted into the eyelet 101 and then the pin 18 inserted. In either instance it is important that the loop 19 be in tension in the eyelet 101 so that even when the foot 103 is not in the shoe 100, the pins 18 are held in place against the eyelet 101. In this manner the strips 11 to 15 are held in place even though the foot 103 is out of the shoe 100 and not expanding the strips 11 to 15. 
     As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the strips 11 to 15 have part of the indicia 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d and 20e or 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d and 21e imprinted on them to form a unitary design 20 or 21 across the strips 11 to 15. The indicia 20 or 21 can be sewn, printed, silk screened or applied by any other convenient method to the strips 11 to 15. Preferably the strips 11 to 15 are stretched as they would be on the shoe 100 when the indicia are applied. The indicia 20 or 21 can be in the form of pictures or advertising. For sale of the strips 11 to 15, they can be provided in a package 102 (shown in broken lines in FIG. 7). 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show a more conventional hook 30 mounted on a strip 30. The strip 30 has a slot 30a in which the hook portion 31a can rotate on shaft 31b. The hook portion 31a mounts into eyelet 10c of shoe 100. The tabs 30b can be secured around shaft 31b by any convenient method, such as gluing, sewing or fabric connectors (Velcro) to form the loop 32. This construction is not preferred, since the hook portion 31a does not as readily hold the strip 30 in place when the foot 103 is out of the shoe. However, FIGS. 8 and 9 show a type of holding means for the strip 30. 
     FIG. 10 shows a wire type hook 41 which is held secured by tab 40a on strip 40. The hook 41 is a conventional wire or eyelet dress hook which is held on tab 40 by rounded portions 41a of the wire hook 41. A pin 42 holds the hook 41 in place adjacent the eyelet 101. The strip 40 engages the eyelet so that the hook 41 is in tension against the pin 42. This prevents the pin 42 from being dislodged even when the foot 103 is not in the shoe. FIG. 11 shows a strip 50 of an elastic material with a rivet 51 mounted on the strip 50 at one end 50a. The rivet has a head 51a which snaps into place in an eyelet 101 of the shoe. Numerous variations will occur to those skilled in the art. 
     It is intended that the foregoing description be only illustrative of the present invention and that the present invention be limited only by the hereinafter appended claims.