Patent Publication Number: US-9888738-B2

Title: Slipper body and slipper with an ornament

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to the field of shoes, more specifically to a slipper body and slipper with an ornament. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally, the patterns or designs are printed or attached onto the vamp by other manners, or various ornaments are directly fastened onto the vamp in order to decorate the vamp with respect to the slippers in the prior art. On the one hand, the personal requirements of the consumers can hardly be met due to the existing ornaments fixed by these methods when shopping. On the other hand, the ornaments of the vamp can not be replaced by other patterns, designs or ornaments after shopping. In addition, the various ornaments with clamps can be gripped by the consumers, but it will seriously affect the wearing comfortability because the clamps occupy the inner space of the slippers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a slipper, which enables the consumers select the ornaments of the vamp on their own and change for other ornaments conveniently, so as to meet the personal requirements of the consumers and not to affect the wearing comfortability, and of which the beautiful degree of the vamp will not be affected after removing the ornament. The slipper also has simple structure and is easy to use. 
     According to one aspect, a slipper body with a sole and a vamp is provided, wherein the vamp is ribbon shape and has an inner surface being capable to contact with the instep and a decorative surface opposite to the inner surface. In addition, a fixing slot is arranged between the inner surface and the decorative surface on the vamp for fixing an ornament. 
     Preferably, the fixing slot extends through the vamp. 
     It&#39;s also preferable that at least two fixing slots are provided. 
     According to another aspect, a slipper with an ornament is provided, which comprises a slipper body as mentioned above and an ornament fixed onto the vamp by the fixing slot. 
     In an advantageous embodiment, the ornament has an ornament body and a sheet-shaped fixing plate connected with the ornament body, and is fixed onto the vamp by the mating between the fixing plate and the fixing slot. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the rear end of the fixing plate is hinged with the rear part of the back side of the ornament body. 
     In a further advantageous embodiment, the front end of the fixing plate bends towards one side thereof. 
     The following beneficial effects can be obtained with implementing the slipper according to the present invention. A simple fixing slot for fixing an ornament is arranged on the vamp and can be easily inserted into various ornaments for change, which enlarges the range of ornaments to be selected by the consumers and thus meets the personal requirements of the consumers. Since the fixing slot is situated between the inner surface and the decorative surface, the opening thereof will not influence the inner surface and the decorative surface. Not only is the wearing comfortability of the consumers not influenced after fixing an ornament, but also the beautiful degree of the vamp is not affected after removing the ornament. The fixing plate is sheet-shaped, which is inserted into the fixing slot without making the inner surface project towards the inner side to lower the wearing comfortability. In addition, the front end of the fixing plate bends towards one side thereof, which makes the front end of the fixing slot blocked at the opening of the fixing slot and thus the fixing plate not easy to escape out of the fixing slot. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is the structural view of the slipper body in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is the cross-sectional view of the vamp of the slipper body in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is the view of the ornament in an opening condition in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is the view of the ornament in a closing condition in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is the cross-sectional view of the vamp with the ornament fixed in a preferred embodiment according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art, within the context of the invention, and in the specific context where each term is used. Certain terms that are used to describe the invention are discussed below, or elsewhere in the specification, to provide additional guidance to the practitioner regarding the description of the invention. The use of examples anywhere in this specification, including examples of any terms discussed herein, is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the invention or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the invention is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification. 
     As used herein, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. 
     In a preferred embodiment as shown in  FIG. 1 , the slipper body according to the present invention includes a sole  1  and a vamp  2 , wherein the vamp  2  has an inner surface  22  contacting with the instep and a decorative surface  21  opposite to the inner surface  22  outside. A fixing slot  23  for fixing an ornament is arranged between the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21  on the vamp  2 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the fixing slot  23  contained between the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21  extends through the vamp  2 . There are three fixing slots  23  on the vamp  2  in  FIG. 1 , which can be used to fix 1 to 3 ornaments. 
     Since the fixing slot  23  is situated between the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21 , the opening of the fixing slot  23  will not influence the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21 . In the case of only fixing 1 or 2 ornaments or without ornaments fixed, neither the beautiful degree of the vamp  2  nor the wearing comfortability of the consumers is affected. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the slipper according to the present invention comprises the above-mentioned slipper body and an ornament  3 , which is fixed on the vamp  2  by way of the fixing slot  23 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the ornament  3  includes an ornament body  31  and a fixing plate  32  for inserting into the fixing slot  23 . The fixing plate  32  connects with the ornament body  31 , more specifically, the rear end of the fixing plate  32  is hinged onto the rear part of the back side of the ornament body  31 . The ornament  3  is fixed onto the vamp  2  through the mating of the fixing plate  32  and the fixing slot  23 . 
     The rear end of the fixing plate  32  is hingably connected with the rear part of the back side of the ornament body  31 , which enables the fixing plate  32  and the ornament body  31  rotate about the hinge connection relatively to one another. Through rotation, the front end of the fixing plate  32  can be displaced near to the front end of the ornament body  32 . In this way, the fixing plate  23  in its entirety is placed at the back side of the ornament body  32  and thus there are two conditions with the fixing plate  32  and the ornament body  31 , which two conditions are the opening and closing conditions as respectively shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . In the opening condition, the fixing plate  32  can be inserted into the fixing slot  23  so as to close the ornament body  31  towards the fixing plate  32 . Because of the hinge connection between the rear end of the fixing plate  32  and the rear part of the back side of the ornament body  31 , the back side of the ornament body  31  can be abutted against the decorative surface  21  of the vamp  2  to situate and grip the ornament body  31  onto the vamp  2  after closing the ornament body  31  by rotating. The fixing plate  32  is sheet-shaped and thus will not make the inner surface  22  project towards the inner side while being inserted into the fixing slot  23 . Consequently, the wearing comfortability is not influenced. As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the front end of the fixing plate  32  bends towards one side thereof, so as to block the front end of the fixing plate  32  above the opening of the fixing slot  23 . Therefore, the fixing plate  32  can not easily escape out of the fixing slot  23 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, a fixing slot  23  is provided on the vamp  2  to form a simple structure. Various ornaments  3  for change can conveniently be inserted into the fixing slot  23 , in order to enlarge the range of ornaments  3  to be selected by the consumers and meet the personal requirements of the consumers. Since the fixing slot  23  is situated between the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21 , the opening thereof will not influence the inner surface  22  and the decorative surface  21 . Not only is the wearing comfortability of the consumers not influenced after fixing the ornament  3 , but also the beautiful degree of the vamp  2  is not affected after removing the ornament  3 . The ornament  3  is fixed onto the vamp  2  by the mating of the fixing plate  32  and the fixing slot  23 , and the fixing plate  32  is sheet-shaped, which is inserted into the fixing slot  23  without lowering the wearing comfortability. In addition, the front end of the fixing plate  32  bends towards one side thereof, in order to block the front end of the fixing plate  32  above the opening of the fixing slot  23 , which makes the fixing plate  32  not easy to escape out of the fixing slot  23 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, it is preferable that three fixing slots are provided on the vamp so as to insert 1 to 3 ornaments simultaneously. It is understood that the number of the fixing slots is not restricted to this. For example, one or two fixing slots or fixing slots with any other number can be provided on the vamp. 
     In addition, it is also understood that the front end of the fixing plate can bend towards the side thereof opposite the side as shown in the  FIGS. 3 to 5 . In this way, the front end of the fixing plate  32  is blocked below the opening of the fixing slot  23 . 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to activate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.