BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cuff clip constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the opposite side as that shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an angled view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1
FIG. 5 is a top view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 6 is a frontal view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1 and showing three lips that may be used to secure display indicia upon an exterior wall thereof.
FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the cuff clip shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cuff clip of FIG. 1 mated with the head of a fastener used to releasably attach the cuff clip to the heel portion of a shoe.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cuff clip of FIG. 1 wherein generally planar display indicia is inserted into, and retained by, the three lips shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 10 is a top view of the fastener shown in FIG. 8, illustrating that the head of such fastener includes slots for receiving a screw driver, as well as a hollow socket for mating with a rear stud of the cuff clip.
FIG. 11 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the fastener including a threaded shaft.
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view of the fastener shown in FIG. 8 illustrating slots for receiving a screw driver, as well as the hollow socket for mating with the rear stud of the cuff clip.
FIG. 13 is a side view of the fastener shown in FIGS. 8 and 12.
FIG. 14 is a partial sectional view of the heel portion of a shoe, with the cuff clip apparatus installed for supporting the lower hem of a pant leg from the shoe.
FIG. 15 is a bottom view of the shoe and cuff clip apparatus shown in FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a partial sectional view of a shoe formed to incorporate a cuff clip at the time of manufacturing the shoe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A cuff clip for supporting the lower end of a pant leg from a shoe, and constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, is shown in FIG. 1 and is designated generally by reference numeral 20. Referring generally to FIGS. 1-7, cuff clip 20 is preferably formed as a U-shaped body including a first panel 22 and a second panel 24 extending substantially parallel to first panel 22. As shown in FIGS. 1-4, and in the bottom view of FIG. 7, the lower edges of panels 22 and 24 are joined to each other by bottom wall 26 to form a generally U-shaped body. Also, as shown best in the top view of FIG. 5 and the bottom view of FIG. 6, panels 22 and 24 may be bowed along their length to form a slightly arcuate structure that more closely adapts to the rounded rear peripheral portion of a shoe heel.
Still referring to FIGS. 1-7, first panel 22 includes an interior wall 28 and an exterior wall 30. As best illustrated in the sectional drawing of FIG. 3, interior wall 28 of first panel 22 is not precisely flat; rather, first panel 22 is thicker proximate its top edge than proximate its lower edge. Second panel 24 also includes an interior wall 32 and an exterior wall 34. Interior walls 28 and 32 of first and second panels 22 and 24 generally face each other and are spaced slightly apart from each other to form an inner space, or channel 36 therebetween. As mentioned above, interior wall 28 preferably has a cross-sectional contour, and is shaped to cause channel 36 to have a narrow opening towards the top, gradually opening into a wider space towards the bottom; this preferred shape of channel 36 provides space to receive a relatively thick hem at the bottom of the channel, while maintaining a tight grip on the garment edge at the top of the clip. Channel 36 is arcuately curved along its length, following the curvature of panels 22 and 24. Channel 36 is adapted to releasably receive the lower end of a pant leg, cuff, or the lower edge of another garment (not shown). Cuff clip 20 is sometimes referred to herein as a cuff support member since it can be used to support the cuff of a pant leg.
Referring briefly to FIG. 8, a first fastener 38 is shown releasably secured to exterior wall 30 of cuff clip 20. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, fastener 38 is in the form of a nail having a barbed shaft 40 and an attachment head 42. As indicated in FIGS. 12 and 13, the end 44 of shaft 40 forms a sharp, tapered point to assist in puncturing the heel portion of a shoe, or alternatively, to help guide fastener 38 into a pre-formed bore hole in the heel of the shoe. Fastener 38 is adapted to be secured inside the heel portion of a shoe, preferably by drilling, or otherwise forming, a bore extending into the shoe heel having a diameter slightly less than the outer diameter of the barbed ridges on shaft 40. After forming such bore, pointed end 44 of fastener 38 is directed into such bore, and fastener 38 is then urged further into the bore. The barbed ridges on shaft 40 prevent fastener 38 from falling out of the shoe heel after being secured thereto. Accordingly, fastener 38 is sometimes referred to herein as a shoe member since it is adapted to be secured to the lower, rear portion of a shoe, e.g., the heel.
Referring briefly to FIG. 14, shoe 62 includes a sole having a heel portion 64. Fastener 38 is secured within heel portion 64 of the sole, preferably from the rear of shoe 62. Preferably, attachment head 42 is recessed within heel portion 64, as shown in FIG. 14; this allows cuff clip 20 to abut the rear of shoe 62 and conform to the curvature of the rear portion of shoe 62, as shown in FIG. 15. Alternatively, if desired, attachment head 42 can protrude slightly from heel portion 64. Cuff clip 20 is releasably secured to attachment head 42 of fastener 38, and the lower hem of pant leg 66 is releasably engaged within channel 36 of cuff clip 20.
FIG. 11 shows an alternate embodiment of the first fastener, designated as 38′, wherein shaft 40′ has a helical screw thread formed about its periphery for approximately five-eighths of an inch of axial length, rather than barbs. In either case, shaft 40 preferably has an irregular outer surface for anchoring fastener 38 to the heel of the shoe. As indicated in FIGS. 10 and 12, attachment head 42′ may include a first slot 46 for receiving the blade of a conventional flat-bladed screwdriver for use in screwing fastener 38′ into a bore formed in the heel of shoe. If desired, a second slot 48 (see FIG. 10) may be formed in attachment head 42, perpendicular to first slot 46, for receiving the blade of a Phillips-head screwdriver.
As shown best in FIGS. 10 and 12, attachment head 42 of fastener 38 has a hollow socket 50 formed therein and adapted to releasably receive a rounded stud. While fasteners 38 and 38′ may be made of a wide variety of materials, including metal, fasteners 38 and 38′ are preferably formed of molded plastic to minimize manufacturing expense.
Referring again to FIGS. 1-7, a second fastener, in the form of a rounded male stud 52, is secured to, and extends from, exterior wall 30 of first panel 22 of the U-shaped cuff clip 20. Rounded stud 52 is of a size and configuration to releasably mate with, and be received within, hollow socket 50 of attachment head 42 for selectively supporting cuff clip 20 from the rear portion of a shoe (not shown), proximate the heel thereof. It should be noted that attachment head 42 and rounded stud 52 are sometimes referred to herein as coupling members since they are adapted to be releasably coupled with each other. Attachment head 42 and stud 52 form a snap-type fastener for releasably securing the cuff support member from the lower, rear portion of a shoe. Rounded stud 52 is preferably integral with exterior wall 30 of first panel 22. In the preferred embodiment, cuff clip 20 is molded from a plastic material as an integral structure.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the locations of socket 50 and stud 52 could be reversed, if desired, by forming a rounded stud on attachment head 42 of fastener 38, and by including a hollow socket upon exterior wall 30 of first panel 22.
Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that a shoe manufacturer could allow for the support of such a cuff clip at the time that a shoe is being manufactured. In this regard, FIG. 16 illustrates a shoe 62′ having a sole that includes heel portion 64′. The sole of shoe 62′ is formed of a molded material. Cuff clip 20′ is shown in FIG. 16 as including an integral anchor 74; anchor 74 includes an enlarged backing plate coupled by a short stub shaft to the exterior wall of cuff clip 20′ that faces shoe 64′. The shoe manufacturer molds the heal portion 64′ of the sole around the enlarged backing plate of anchor 74 to secure cuff clip 20′ to shoe 62′. While FIG. 16 shows anchor 74 being integral with cuff clip 20′, those skilled in the art will appreciate that anchor 74 could instead include an attachment head 42 of the type shown on fastener 38 in FIGS. 10 and 12 for mating with a complementary fastener on cuff clip 20′. While FIG. 16 shows anchor 74 being molded into heel portion 64′ of shoe 62′, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, if desired, a shoe manufacturer could instead secure anchor 74 to the upper body of the shoe, as by, for example, securing the backing plate of anchor 74 between outer and inner layers of material used to form the upper body of the shoe.
As mentioned above, one of the objects of the invention is to allow logos, or other indicia, to be displayed from cuff clip 20. Exterior wall 34 of second panel 24 is preferably used for this purpose. Such logo or other indicia may be molded into, printed upon, adhered to, or otherwise secured to exterior wall 34 of second panel 24 for being displayed as the user stands or walks. Preferably, lips are formed upon the bottom and side edges of exterior wall 34 for allowing logos or other indicia to be easily interchanged; no lip is formed along the top edge of exterior wall 34 to avoid interfering with the insertion of display indicia. Referring to FIGS. 1-6 and FIG. 8, bottom upturned lip 54 extends along the lower end of exterior wall 34 of second panel 24. A first inwardly-turned side lip 56 extends at least partially along one side of exterior wall 34, while a second inwardly-turned side lip 58 extends at least partially along the opposite side of exterior wall 34. A generally planar indicia element, bearing a logo or the like, may be removably inserted upon the exterior wall of second panel 24 and retained within bottom lip 54 and first and second side lips 56 and 58 .
The above-described manner of displaying an indicia element upon cuff clip 20 is illustrated in FIG. 9, which shows an alternate embodiment of the cuff clip, and wherein primed reference numerals indicate features already described above using like reference numerals. In FIG. 9, bottom lip 54′ extends only along the center portion of the bottom edge of second panel 24′, rather than all the way across. Likewise, in FIG. 9, side lips 56′ and 58′ terminate before reaching the upper end of second panel 24. Within FIG. 9, element 60 represents a generally planar indicia element, bearing a logo or the like, which has been inserted upon the exterior wall of second panel 24′ and retained thereon by bottom lip 54′ and first and second side lips 56′ and 58′.
It will be recalled that another aspect of the present invention relates to an improved method of releasably attaching the lower edge of a garment to a shoe. In practicing such method, a first coupler, e.g., attachment head 42, is secured to the lower portion of a shoe. A cuff clip, e.g., cuff clip 20, is provided to releasably engage the lower edge of a garment. The lower edge of the garment is inserted into the cuff clip, e.g., into channel 36 of cuff clip 20. A second complementary coupler, e.g., rounded stud 52, is provided on the cuff clip to releasably engage the first coupler. The second coupler is engaged with the first coupler for releasably attaching the lower edge of the garment to the lower portion of the shoe. In one preferred embodiment, the first coupler is secured to the lower portion of the shoe by providing an elongated fastener, such as fastener 38, anchoring at least a first end of the elongated fastener into a heel portion of the shoe, and using the opposing second end (e.g., attachment head 42) of the elongated fastener as the first coupler.
In practicing a preferred embodiment of the aforementioned method, the cuff clip is provided by providing first and second panels extending substantially parallel to each other and spaced slightly apart from each other to form an inner space or channel therebetween for receiving the lower edge of the garment. In the preferred embodiment, the second coupler is provided by securing the second coupler to an exterior wall of the first panel. Also in the preferred embodiment of such method, a bottom lip is formed at least partially along a lower end of the exterior wall of the second panel, and first and second side lips are formed at least partially along opposing sides of the exterior wall of the second panel to receive a generally planar indicia element upon the exterior wall of the second panel.
After securing a suitable fastener to the user's shoe, engaging the lower end of a pant leg with the cuff clip, and snapping the cuff clip onto the shoe-mounted fastener, the cuff clip and shoe-mounted fastener work together to maintain a garment edge in a fixed position relative to the shoe.
Those skilled in the art will now appreciate that a cuff clip apparatus has been described which easily and conveniently serves to prevent the lower hem of a pant leg from becoming soiled or worn through contact with the ground. The described cuff clip does not result in any discomfort due to contact between the clip device and the user's foot, as it does not extend within the compartment of the shoe that receives the user's foot. The novel cuff clip does not require any alteration of the pant leg, while requiring only minor modification of a shoe. Should the user so desire, the cuff clip can be released from the shoe fastener to disconnect the lower edge of the pant leg from the shoe. The same cuff clip may be used with two or more pairs of shoes, provided that each pair of shoes includes a complementary fastener of the general type described herein. Alternatively, two or more different cuff clips may be used with the same pair of shoes. The described cuff clip apparatus is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and can be formed of durable materials. Moreover, the disclosed cuff clip apparatus can advantageously be used to display fixed, or interchangeable, logos or other indicia. While the present invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various modifications and changes may be made to the described embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20070277290
