Patent Application
20150342273
The present invention relates to closure bands for boots.
Boots leave a gap around the boot top which allows debris and water to intrude, among other annoyances. For example, the movement of the boot against a pant leg may cause the pant leg to bunch up. Many persons simply find the boot top gap aesthetically unappealing, and would prefer a means to cover it and/or add a decorative accent. Generally, decorative bands for boot tops are designed solely to go around the boot itself; and not to span the gap, and do not function well when positioned to overlap both the boot top and the leg. Such a band should provide for secure attachment, but be easy to put on and off, and allow use with a variety of interchangeable clip styles to provide flexibility in use. Additionally, conventional solutions use elastic material. The elastic is required in conventional solutions in order to keep the band tightly engaged around the boot and leg so as to prevent movement. The primary problem with this is that the tight elastic tends to cut off circulation in the user's legs. The elastic material also wears out quickly and loses its ability to hold the band.
Thus, there is a need for a boot band which: (1) does not use elastic which cuts off blood circulation; (2) is easily put on and off; (3) securely covers the gap at the boot top; (4) comfortably engages against both the boot top and the user's leg; (5) provides aesthetic/decorative accent; (6) provides for secure clips which can be easily inserted and removed.
An convertible boot band includes an interior band extending longitudinally and widthwise, end loops connected to the interior bands proximate its opposite ends, the end loops configured to receive interchangeable clips to hold the convertible boot band closed, and a gripping portion coupled to the interior band back surface which holds the convertible boot band in place against the boot and leg. A convertible boot band may include a single gripping portion extending substantially across the width of the interior band, or in an alternating pattern back-and-forth across the width of the interior band in a serpentine pattern, so as to be able to engage against the user's leg and a boot top. A convertible boot band may include first and second gripping portions, each extending along the length of the interior band and spaced apart laterally so that one gripping portion engages against the user's leg and the other gripping portion engages against a boot top. Gripping portions may include interposed spaces, allowing the interior band to stretch freely without restriction from the gripping portions. An convertible boot band may include an exterior layer overlaid against the interior hand outer surface, which may extend past the ends of the interior band in order to overlap and/or hide the interior band. The end loops may be formed into the exterior layer ends, and may be formed by folding the exterior layer ends over and connecting them to the ends of the interior band and the back side of the exterior layer by a transverse seam.
An convertible boot band may include a removable clip for holding it closed, the clip adapted to slip easily into and out of the end loops. The clip may be of generally “U” shape, “N” shape or “O” shape. The dip may include a closure coupling, with a receiving cavity having an interior lip on one part and a protrusion on an opposed part, the protrusion including a shoulder to frictionally engage the interior lip in order to hold the closure coupling closed when compressed together.
The disclosed invention presents numerous advantages, including: (1) does not use elastic which cuts off blood circulation; (2) is easily put on and off; (3) securely covers the gap at the boot top; (4) comfortably engages against both the boot top and the user's leg; (5) provides aesthetic/decorative accent; (6) provides for secure clips which can be easily inserted and removed.
Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Further benefits and advantages of the embodiments of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which specify and show preferred embodiments of the present invention.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles and implementations of the invention.
Turning now descriptively to the drawings; in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, the figures illustrate the of the present invention. With regard to the reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the various drawing figures:
Before beginning a detailed description of the subject invention, mention of the following is in order. When appropriate, like reference materials and characters are used to designate identical, corresponding, or similar components in differing figure drawings. The figure drawings associated with this disclosure typically are not drawn with dimensional accuracy to scale, i.e., such drawings have been drafted with a focus on clarity of viewing and understanding rather than dimensional accuracy.
In the interest of clarity, not all of the routine features of the implementations described herein are shown and described. It will, of course, be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with application- and business-related constraints, and that these specific goals will vary from one implementation to another and from one developer to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of engineering for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.
As shown in
In the first embodiment 10, a first gripping portion 30 connected along the interior band back surface 24 is provided. Gripping portion 30 is disposed lengthwise from a first end 32 to a second end 34 along at least a portion of the length of the interior band back surface 24. A second gripping portion is 36 is provided, disposed lengthwise along interior band back surface 24 from a first end 38 to a, second end 40. First and second gripping portions 30 and 36 are spaced apart laterally, and proximate the interior band first and second borders 18 and 20 respectively, such that first gripping portion 30 grippingly engages the user's leg above the boot top, and second gripping portion 36 grippingly engages the boot top, thereby holding the convertible boot band 10 in place.
In the embodiment, interior band 12 is composed of polyester-fabric-backed polyester foam material, which provides body and form to maintain the shape of the boot band 10. Using a material such as polyester foam in combination with the gripping portion 30 and/or 36 allows the boot band 10 to maintain position and functionality, but without affecting blood circulation in the user's leg or other discomfort associated with the use of elastic.
In the first embodiment 10, first and second gripping portions 30, 36 are layers of silicone rubber bonded directly to interior band back surface 24. The reference to a “layer” in describing the gripping portions, e.g. 30 and 36, does not necessarily mean a single stratum of material. Each gripping portion “layer” may comprise a single or multiple strata of homogeneous or heterogeneous material.
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In the embodiment, first and second end loops 64 and 66, respectively, are formed into the exterior layer first and second ends, 52 and 54, respectively. Interior band 12 is connected to exterior layer 50 at least by first and second end seams 68 and 70 extending widthwise across and proximate to the interior band first and second ends 14 and 16, respectively. Exterior layer first and second ends 52, 54 are connected to the interior band 12 and at least the exterior layer back surface 62 at the first and second end seams 68 and 70 respectively, thereby forming the first and second end loops 64 and 66.
Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7-9, a first embodiment includes a removable clip 72. Removable clip 72 includes at least a first elongated portion 74, a second elongated portion 76, and a connecting portion 78. Each of the respective first and second elongated portions 74 and 76 extend from a first end 80 and 82, respectively, to a second end 84 and 86, respectively. First and second elongated portions 74 and 76 are coupled at their first ends 80, 82 by the connecting portion 78. In the embodiment, first elongated portion 74, second elongated portion 76, and connecting portion 78 are disposed relative to each other to form a U-shape with the first elongated portion first end 80 proximate the second elongated portion first end 82.
Referring again to FIGS. 6 and 7-9, in the first embodiment a closure coupling 88 is provided for removable clip 72. Closure coupling 88 includes a first part 90 and a second part 92, the closure coupling first part 90 mounted to the first elongated portion 74 proximate the second end 84, and the closure portion second part 92 mounted to the second elongated portion 76 proximate the second end 86. Closure coupling first part 90 includes a receiving cavity 94 having an interior engagement lip 96 defining an interior diameter and the closure coupling second part 92 includes a projecting portion 98 including an exterior shoulder 99, the shoulder perimeter size 99 selected to frictionally engage the engagement lip interior diameter 96 when compressed together.
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Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications and changes may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. It will, of course, be understood that modifications of the invention, in its various aspects, will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some being apparent only after study, others being matters of routine mechanical, chemical and electronic design. No single feature, function or property of the preferred embodiment is essential. Other embodiments are possible, their specific designs depending upon the particular application. As such, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the particular embodiments herein described but should be defined only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
This application is a nonprovisional of and claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/004,223 filed May 29, 2014, and which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62004223 | May 2014 | US |
