Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates generally to fashion accessories, and more particularly, to belts, belt buckles, and ornamental belt buckles. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Belts and belt buckles are well known and long time fashion accessories. As is well known, one common use of a belt is to secure clothing about a user&#39;s waist with a buckle. Buckles are common devices that secure the two ends of the belt, or strap, together. Generally, the buckle is secured to one end of the belt, and the other end of the belt may be secured to the buckle in a variable manner. Commonly, the other end of the belt has holes along a portion of the belt length that allow a prong of the buckle to secure to the belt at differing lengths. In this manner, the belt may encircle the person&#39;s waist and accommodate girth of the waist, which may vary somewhat on a particular day, and between particular people. If a particular person&#39;s waist increases or decreases over time by more than the amount that may be accommodated by the second end of the belt, a new belt may be required. The same buckle may be used in certain instances where the buckle is removable from the belt. However, in certain other cases, the buckle and belt are permanently affixed, and thus a new belt and buckle may be required. 
   Buckles, while widely used for belts and the like, may also be used as decorative ornaments for numerous other articles of clothing, such as, for example, shoes, shirts, and pants, to name but a few. Furthermore, buckles may be integrated directly into the waist of a pair of pants, skirt, or dress, with the articles of clothing having integrated straps which may be adjusted using the buckle. 
   As mentioned, belts and/or associated buckles may be used as a fashion accessory. In many cases, it is desirable to match a certain belt and/or buckle to a particular clothing ensemble being worn by the person. In these cases, the person often desires to have ornamentation on the belt and/or buckle that may complement the other articles of clothing being worn by the person. Such ornamentation may include, for example, attached decorative articles, gemstones, designs, and different colors associated with the belt and/or buckle. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention recognizes that it would be desirable to have a single belt buckle which may include multiple different types of ornamentation, including multiple different types of attached decorative articles, gemstones, metal articles, crystals, rhinestones, plastic articles, and/or color accents associated with the buckle. The present invention also recognizes that the cost of manufacturing buckles having such items, such as mounting ornamentation and/or applying color accents, is significantly increased as compared to a buckle having none of these items. Furthermore, even relatively simple buckles can be somewhat expensive, and for a particular user it would be desirable to have relatively few such buckles. Accordingly, the present invention provides a belt buckle and a removable backing which may contain ornamentation and/or various color accents for the belt buckle. In such a manner, the manufacturing cost of the belt buckle is reduced, thus providing a reduced cost belt buckle to an end user relative to a buckle with integrated ornamentation, and also providing a user with the ability to purchase fewer such buckles and still have a relatively wide range of options relative to ornamentation. 
   In one embodiment, the present invention provides a belt buckle system, comprising (a) a belt buckle comprising a buckle blank having a front side and a back side, a prong operably interconnected with the back side, and a swivel operably interconnected to the back side; and (b) a backing connected to the belt buckle and extending in an axial direction beyond the buckle blank for at least a portion of the periphery of the buckle blank. The backing has first and second apertures, the first aperture sized to fit over the prong and the second aperture sized to fit over the swivel. The prong and swivel extend through the backing when the backing is connected to the belt buckle. The backing may be made of leather, fabric, plastic, or any other material or combination of materials. The backing is operable to the removed from the belt buckle, and a different backing may be mounted to the buckle if desired. The backing may have ornamentation mounted thereon, such as gemstones, metal objects, metal studs, and/or other ornamentation. In one embodiment, the blank has a curvature associated therewith, and the first and second apertures are spaced apart and correspond to a distance between the prong and swivel such that when coupled to the buckle, the backing substantially conforms to the curvature of the blank. 
   In another embodiment, the present invention provides an ornamental backing for a belt buckle. The ornamental backing comprises a backing sheet having at least a first aperture and adapted to be engaged with at least two projections of a belt buckle. The backing sheet is sized to extend beyond an outer periphery of a belt buckle blank for at least a portion of the outer periphery of the belt buckle blank. The aperture may comprise at least a first and a second aperture spaced such that when connected to the buckle, a prong of the belt buckle extends through the first aperture and a swivel of the belt buckle extends through the second aperture, allowing the buckle to be secured to a belt with the backing affixed thereto. 
   In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a belt comprising a belt buckle, a belt strap, and a backing. The belt buckle comprises a blank, a prong interconnected to a first side of the blank, and a swivel interconnected to the first side of the blank and spaced from the prong by a first distance. The belt strap comprises a first end operably engaged with the swivel and a second end adapted to be engaged with the prong. The backing is adapted to be engaged with the swivel and prong, and extends a substantial distance beyond at least a portion of a periphery of the belt buckle when engaged with the swivel and prong. When the backing is engaged with the belt buckle, and the swivel is engaged with the first end, the second end may be passed through the swivel such that the second end is located between the backing and the first end, and the backing is located between the blank and the second end. 
   These and other aspects of the invention will be readily apparent upon reading the following description of some embodiments of the invention, particularly when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front view of a belt buckle and associated ornamental backing of one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of a belt buckle of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a back view of the belt buckle of  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the ornamental backing of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  if a back view of the belt buckle and attached ornamentation backing of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross section view along section A—A of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view along section B—B of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view along section C—C of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross sectional view along section B—B of  FIG. 4  for another embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross sectional view along section C—C of  FIG. 5  for the embodiment of  FIG. 9 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross sectional illustration along section B—B of  FIG. 4  for another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a cross sectional illustration along section C—C of  FIG. 5  for the embodiment of  FIG. 11 ; 
       FIG. 13  is a back view of a belt buckle of another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 14  is a front view of an ornamental backing for another embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 15  is a back view of the buckle of  FIG. 13  and the backing of  FIG. 14 ; 
       FIG. 16  is a front view of a buckle and decorative backing where the backing contains gemstones; and 
       FIG. 17  is a front view of a buckle, backing, and associated belt for an embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a buckle assembly  20  of an embodiment of the invention is described. The buckle assembly  20  includes a buckle  24  and an ornamental backing  28 . As illustrated, the ornamental backing  28  extends beyond the periphery of a blank  32  of the buckle  24 . As will be understood, numerous different shapes of belt buckles  24  and/or ornamental backings  28  may be used. For example, belt buckles come in numerous different shapes as will be understood by one of skill in the art, including square, oval, rectangular, and other shapes too numerous to list. The buckle blank  32  is generally the portion of the buckle  24  which is manufactured to incorporate different shapes. Similarly, the backing  28  may be manufactured having a shape that corresponds to the buckle blank  32 . The buckle blank  32  may include various different types of ornamentation which are also well known and well understood in the art. For example, such a buckle blank  32  is commonly formed of metal and may include shapes integrated into the metal which depict, for example, horses, automobiles, aircraft, firearms, and/or other objects. Furthermore, the buckle blank  32  may include ridges, elevated portions, and recessed portions that form a decorative design. A buckle blank  32  may also be plated with different materials such as silver and/or gold, to name only two examples, in order to provide further ornamentation. Further, such a buckle blank  32  may also have ornamentation mounted thereto, such as gemstones or any other type of decorative article. Similarly, the backing  28  may also have ornamentation included thereon. Such ornamentation may include, for example, metal articles such as studs or conchos, plastic articles such as plastic stones, rhinestones, crystals, and gemstones mounted around the periphery of the backing  28  such that the gemstones are included on the portion of the backing  28  that extends beyond the periphery of the buckle blank  32 . The backing  28  may also be of a ornamental color which provides further ornamentation to the buckle assembly  20 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate the front and back sides of the buckle  24  illustrated in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the front of the buckle  24  and buckle blank  32 , while  FIG. 3  illustrates the back side of the buckle. In this embodiment, the buckle is formed of metal, although it will be understood that the buckle  24  may be formed of any appropriate materials, or combinations of materials, such as, for example, plastic, leather, wood, fabric, or composite materials. Referring specifically to  FIG. 3 , the back side of the buckle  24  includes a prong  36  and a swivel  40  that are used to secure the buckle  24  to a belt and secure the belt at a fixed length around the waist of a user. The swivel  40  includes a pair of anchors  44  that secure a bar  48  to the back of the buckle blank  32 . Such a bar  48  commonly is coupled to a buckle end of a belt and used to securely couple the buckle  24  to such a belt. The buckle end of the belt is looped around the bar  48  and secured to hold the bar in a fixed location at the buckle end of the belt. Commonly, buckle ends of belts include fasteners which allow buckles to be removed and replaced as desired by the user. Such belts may have snaps that secure a loop of the belt around the bar  48 . Other belts include stitching that secure the end of a belt around the bar  48 , and thus the buckle is not easily removable from the belt. The prong  36  typically engages with a hole on the opposite end of the belt and acts to secure the opposite end of the belt from sliding through the buckle  24 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the backing  28  is illustrated for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, the backing  28  is formed of leather, although it will be understood that the backing  28  may be formed of any suitable material or combinations of material, including, for example, fabric, plastic, and composite materials. In this embodiment, the backing  28  is formed of flexible or malleable material that may be affixed with relative ease to the back of the buckle  24 , as will be described in more detail below. However, it is contemplated that the backing  28  in other embodiments may be formed of relatively rigid material, and affixed to the buckle in a manner that would be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the backing  28  includes two apertures, namely a first aperture  52  and a second aperture  56 . The first aperture  52  is sized and positioned such that it may cooperate with the prong  36  of the buckle  24  ( FIG. 3 ). Similarly, the second aperture  56  is sized and positioned to cooperate with the swivel  40  of the belt buckle  24  ( FIG. 3 ).  FIG. 5  illustrates the backing  28  and buckle  24  with the backing mounted thereto. As can be observed from the illustration, the first aperture  52  fits over the prong  36 , and the second aperture  56  fits over the swivel  40 . In this manner, the backing is securely affixed to the back side of the buckle  24 , thereby providing additional ornamentation to the front side of the buckle assembly  20 . The backing  28  may be sized, and the first and second apertures  52 ,  56  may be spaced from one another such that when engaged with the prong  36  and swivel  40 , respectively, pressure is applied by the backing  28  to the interior portions of the prong  36  and swivel  40  relative to one another. This pressure helps secure the backing  28  to the buckle  24 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6–8 , cross-sectional illustrations of the buckle  24 , backing  28 , and assembled buckle assembly  20  are illustrated.  FIG. 6  illustrates a cross-section of the buckle taken along section A—A ( FIG. 3 ). As illustrated, the buckle blank  32  and associated prong  36  and swivel  40  are formed of metal with the prong  36  and swivel  40  separated by a distance D. The distance D is measured, in this illustration, as the distance between the inside edge of the prong  36  and the inside edge of the swivel anchors  44 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , a cross-sectional illustration of the backing  28  taken along section B—B ( FIG. 4 ) is illustrated. The backing  28  in this embodiment is formed of a single piece of leather having the apertures cut or stamped out of the piece of leather. The inside edge of the first aperture  52  and the inside edge of the second edge  56  are separated by a distance noted as E in  FIG. 7 . In one embodiment, the distance E is somewhat larger than the distance D, resulting in the backing  28  conforming to a curve in the buckle blank  32 . In one embodiment, the distance E is selected to correspond to the distance associated with the arc of the buckle blank  32  between the prong  36  and swivel  40 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a cross-section of the buckle assembly  20 , taken along section C—C ( FIG. 5 ) is illustrated along with an exemplary belt  212  attached thereto. A buckle end  213  of the belt is secured to the bar  48  of the swivel as described above, with the opposite end  214  of the belt engaged with the prong  36 . As may be observed from the illustration, the backing conforms to the curvature of the buckle blank  32  of the buckle  24 . This curvature is referred to as the dap of the buckle  24 . The dap results in a curved buckle that emulates the curvature of a person&#39;s body and enhances comfort while also providing a buckle  24  which is less likely to protrude inconveniently at its edges. As described in this embodiment, the distance E is somewhat greater than the distance D, resulting in pressure being applied by the inside edge of the first aperture  52  to the inside edge of prong  36  and the inside edge of second aperture  56  against the inside edges of anchors  44  of the swivel  40 . This pressure results in the backing  28  conforming substantially to the curvature of the buckle blank  32 . In this manner, the backing  28  is more securely coupled to the buckle  24 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the backing  28  extends beyond a periphery of the buckle blank  32 . 
   The backing  28  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1–6  as extending beyond the periphery of the buckle blank  32  throughout the entire periphery of the buckle blank  32 . However, the backing  28  may extend beyond the buckle blank periphery for only a portion of the buckle blank, such as only the top, bottom, left, or right sides, or any combination thereof. Furthermore, while the backing  28  is illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8  as having a uniform thickness, the backing may also have non-uniform thickness throughout the body thereof. As illustrated in  FIG. 9 , a backing  100  of another embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The backing  100  includes first and second apertures  52 ,  56  as described with respect to the previous figures. The thickness of the backing  100  is reduced over a central portion of the backing  100 . Illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the edges, or periphery, of the backing  100  have a first thickness T 1 , while the central portion of the backing  100  has a second, thinner thickness T 2 . This difference in thicknesses allows the backing  100  to more easily conform to the curvature of the buckle blank  32 , as illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Furthermore, such a reduced thickness T 2  around the swivel  40  portion of the buckle  24  provides for additional space between the bar  48  and the backing  100 , thereby allowing a user to more easily thread the opposing end of the belt through the swivel when wearing the buckle assembly. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , yet another embodiment of a backing having differing thicknesses is illustrated. In this embodiment, the backing  104  has a reduced thickness in proximity to the second aperture  56 . This reduced thickness allows for relative ease in threading a belt end through the swivel  40  when a user is wearing the buckle, and also provides similar increases in flexibility of the backing as described with respect to  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 13–15 , a buckle  108  and backing  116  of another embodiment of the invention are illustrated. In this embodiment, the buckle  108  includes a first projection  110  and a second projection  112  in addition to the prong  36  and swivel  40  assemblies. These additional projections  110 ,  112  provide the connection point between the backing  116  and the buckle  108 , along with prong  36 . Illustrated in  FIG. 14  is a backing  116  for this embodiment. The backing  116  in this embodiment includes four apertures, first aperture  120  is a relatively large rectangular aperture which the swivel  40  may fit through, as illustrated in  FIG. 15 . The second aperture  124  corresponds to the location of the prong  36  of buckle  108 , while the third and fourth apertures  128 ,  132  correspond to the first and second projections  110 ,  112 , respectively of buckle  108 . Similarly as previously described, the distances between the first aperture and third and fourth apertures may be selected such that the backing  116  conforms to the curvature of the blank of buckle  108 . Such an embodiment may allow for easier removal of the backing  116  while the buckle  108  is attached to a belt. For example, the belt may be threaded through the first aperture  120  when the backing is being coupled to the buckle  108 . Such a backing  116  may be particularly useful in embodiments where the buckle  108  is not removable from the belt. Additionally, various other backing and buckle combinations may be used, such as, for example, a backing having a single large central aperture that is secured to the buckle with fastening devices such as snaps. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 16 , a buckle assembly  150  of another embodiment of the invention is described. In this embodiment, the buckle  124  and backing  154  are coupled such that ornamentation  158  mounted on the backing is visible around the entire periphery of the blank  32  of buckle  124 . Such ornamentation may include, for example, gemstones, metal studs, or other ornamental type features similarly as discussed above. For example, in one embodiment, the ornamentation  158  includes rhinestones. It will be understood that numerous options exist for such ornamentation, and in one embodiment the ornamentation includes one or more diamonds or other gemstones. Furthermore, in a manner as described previously, numerous different backings  154  may be purchased for use with a single buckle  124 . For example, a user may have a backing  154  that is adorned with ornamentation such as gemstones, and the user may only want to wear such an ornamental backing on certain special occasions. The backing may be removed and optionally replaced with another backing with different, and/or less valuable ornamentation. Similarly, backings may have different colors and/or different colored ornamentation along with a particular backing selected based upon the outfit that the user is wearing on a particular occasion. Likewise, the backing may simply be removed and the buckle worn without the backing. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 17 , a belt assembly  200  is illustrated for an embodiment of the invention. As described, the belt  212  is coupled with the buckle  208 , with backing  204  visible in front of the belt  212  and behind the buckle  208 . As described briefly above, belts commonly are manufactured to allow for the belt to be affixed to different buckles. In one embodiment, a belt  212  and matching backing  204  are sold together, with ornamentation and/or color on the backing  204  matching ornamentation and/or color of the belt  212 . 
   As described, such a buckle and backing assembly may be useful in numerous situations. For example, different backings may be purchased to match a particular shirt and/or pants of a user. In such a case, a retail establishment may sell both a shirt and a matching backing, or pants and matching backing. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the backings are sold without any pre-cut apertures, and have directions instructing a user to cut appropriate apertures based upon an existing buckle the user may wear. In such a case, when a backing alone is purchased, the buckle that a user may have in mind to use with the backing may have a prong and swivel that are spaced at differing distances compared to other buckles, and thus a custom cutting of apertures is required in order for the backing to properly couple with such a buckle. The instructions provided with the backing inform the user how to cut or stamp the apertures at the appropriate locations. Similarly, an establishment may provide a service to cut or stamp the apertures into the backing. 
   Furthermore, it is contemplated that other articles may also be sold with particular backings that complement the article. For example, a saddle may include unique ornamentation thereon and be sold with a buckle and/or backing that has similar or matching type ornamentation. Likewise, it is common for ornamentation to be sold separately from a saddle or other tack, such as a bridle, with the ornamentation being affixed to the tack by a user. In such cases, the ornamentation may have an associated backing that has matching or complementary colors, design, or ornamentation. Similarly, if a hat or other article that a user is wearing on a specific occasion has a unique design element thereon, a backing with similar unique type design elements may be included. 
   While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various other changes in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Category: y