1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to decorative accessories for adornment of a wearer's body, and more particularly, to decorative accessories that can be interchangeably worn on a variety of different articles of clothing and areas of a wearer's body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Decorative accessories such as bracelets, rings, anklets, necklaces etc., are generally designed to specifically adorn particular areas of the body. For example, it is generally difficult to place an anklet on another region of the body where the dimensions of the anklet cannot accommodate non-ankle-like proportions. Moreover, the length of necklaces and bracelets are generally limited to encircling the areas around the neck and wrist, respectively, without permitting the use of necklaces as bracelets and vice versa.
Consequently, the specificity of jewelry and decorative pieces for particular areas of the body can lead to a number of problems. One of such problems is the unintended accumulation of adornment clutter. Faced with the challenges of body-area specific decorations, individuals are often forced to acquire multiple and, at times, redundant accessories to accommodate different articles of clothing, accessories, or locations on a wearer's body. This accumulation can quickly result in an undesirable increase of clutter in one's home, office, or storage space.
Additionally, for many individuals, purchasing decorative accessories and jewelry is a necessary but costly endeavor. For these individuals, it is economical, practical, and aesthetically desirable to be able to wear an item of jewelry or accessory interchangeably on different articles of clothing and areas of the body at different times.
Hence, there is a need for a decorative accessory that can adorn a variety of areas on a wearer's body and articles of clothing. To this end, there is a particular need for a decorative accessory that permits a wearer to interchangeably wear the decorative accessory on a variety of different locations.
The preferred embodiments of the interchangeable decorative accessory of the present invention have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. However, not all of the following features are necessary to achieve the advantages of the accessory. Therefore, none of the following features should be viewed as limiting. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments,” one will understand how the features of the preferred embodiments provide advantages over prior art accessory items.
In one aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an interchangeable, decorative accessory. The accessory comprises an elongate member having a first end and a second end, wherein the elongate member is sized to extend annularly around the arch area of a person's foot. The accessory further comprises an adornment attachment member, which preferably extends outwardly from a surface of the elongate member. The accessory further comprises a plurality of fastening members, wherein one fastening member is disposed on the first end and another fastening member is disposed on the second end of the elongate member. The accessory further comprises an adornment, wherein the adornment is attached to the elongate member via the adornment attachment member in a manner such that when the elongate member extends annularly around the arch area of the person's foot, the adornment rests against at least a portion of the top of the person's foot. The accessory further comprises a length adjustment member, wherein the length adjustment member is adapted to adjust the length of the elongate member such that the elongate member can be used interchangeably between the arch area of a person's foot and an article of clothing. In one embodiment, the interchangeable, decorative accessory can be interchangeably worn as a foot jewelry and also as a decorative bra strap.
In another aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a decorative accessory kit. The kit comprises a plurality of elastic straps, wherein each strap has an adornment attachment device and a plurality of fastening members. Preferably, each strap is sized to extend annularly around the arch area of a person's foot. Preferably, each elastic strap has two fastening members wherein each fastening member is adapted to mate with the other fastening member so as to attach the strap around the arch area of the person's foot. The two fastening members are also adapted to mate with an insertion loop present on bras so as to attach the elastic strap as part of a bra strap. The decorative kit further comprises a plurality of adornment members, wherein each adornment member is adapted to couple with the adornment attachment device on each of the elastic straps. Preferably, each of the plurality of elastic straps can be used interchangeably with the adornment members to adorn the arch area of the person's foot as well as articles of clothing.
In yet another aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an interchangeable decorative accessory for adornment of a plurality of locations on a wearer's body. In one embodiment, the decorative accessory is sized to extend annularly around the arch area of a person's foot. The accessory further comprises a fastening system for removably securing the accessory to the arch area of the foot and an attachment device for removably attaching a decorative component such as a charm, ring, or other jewelry to the accessory. Preferably, the decorative component is coupled to the accessory in a manner such that the decorative component rests against an upper surface of the foot when the accessory is worn around the arch area of the foot. In one implementation, the decorative accessory is also adapted to replace a portion of a bra strap so as to embellish the bra strap. Preferably, the fastening system of the decorative accessory is configured to attach the accessory to the bra strap in a manner such that the accessory extends vertically between one end of the bra strap and the bra cup and the decorative component faces outwardly to embellish the bra strap. In yet another implementation, the decorative accessory can also be interchangeably used to adorn other articles of clothing, such as shoes, or other parts of a person's body.
Preferably, the accessory also includes a length adjustment element which provides for lengthening and shortening of the decorative accessory. In some embodiments, the length adjustment element may be an inherent property of the decorative accessory. For example, the decorative accessory can comprise an elastic or flexible strap that provides adjustable expansion or contraction. Additionally, the length adjustment element may be a discrete component such as an adjustment slide located along the length of the accessory that provides lengthening or shortening depending on the movement of the slide along the strap. In further embodiments, the length adjustment element may be a knot designed to provide adjustable sizing.
In another preferred embodiment, the fastening system of the accessory comprises a plurality of attachment members that are disposed adjacent to end portions of the accessory. In some embodiments, the attaching members are selected from the group consisting of insertion loops, “S” shape fasteners, hinge fasteners, hook and loop clasps, barrel clasps, spring clasps, lobster clasps, magnetic clasps, toggle clasps, box clasps, hook and pile material (such as that sold under the trademark “VELCRO”), and/or rings. In other embodiments, the attachment member can be either a female or male attaching point capable of attaching and detaching with a corresponding mating attaching point.
In another embodiment, the decorative accessory further comprises at least one interchangeable decorative component. Preferably, the decorative components are interchangeable, removable, and replaceable. In further embodiments, the decorative accessory is washable and cleanable.
In yet another aspect, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide an interchangeable decorative accessory kit. The kit generally includes at least one elongate member, such as a strap, sized to extend annularly around the arch area of a person's foot. Preferably, a multi-purpose fastening mechanism is disposed on the elongate member and adapted to removably attach the elongate member to the person's foot and also to secure the elongate member to a bra strap or other articles of clothing. The kit further includes a plurality of decorative components that can be interchangeably coupled to the elongate member. In a preferred implementation, the decorative accessory kit is adapted to be used interchangeably to adorn the arch area of the foot and also to embellish a bra strap, a shoe and/or other articles of clothing. In another preferred implementation, the decorative accessory kit is adapted to provide an accessory with one or more components that can be interchangeably attached thereto.
In certain preferred embodiments, the decorative accessory may be removed from the arch area of the foot and secured to another article of clothing, accessory, or body area. In some embodiments, the article of clothing is a shoe comprising at least one attachment member designed to connect and secure the decorative accessory to the shoe for adornment. Preferably, the shoe or footwear has insertion loops positioned to allow the attaching member to enter and connect with the loops such that the decorative accessory is secured to the footwear. In some embodiments, the footwear comprises attachment members that can mate with and connect to the corresponding mating attachment members located on the decorative accessory.
In other preferred embodiments, the decorative accessory may be removed from the footwear and/or foot and worn elsewhere. In some embodiments, the decorative accessory adorns a clothing strap such as a bra strap or camisole strap. In preferred embodiments, the clothing strap comprises attachment elements such as insertion loops to accommodate the attaching members located on the decorative accessory. In other embodiments, the decorative accessory attaches to more than one separable segment of clothing such that when attached, the decorative accessory secures the separable segments together. In further embodiments, the decorative accessory may interchangeably adorn and attach to another accessory such as a necklace or belt.
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
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In yet another embodiment, the decorative accessory comprises an elongate chain that is sized to wrap around one or more toes as well as the arch area. Preferably, the chain extends around one or more toes in a manner such that the chain alternates between the front and back of the toe.
In addition to all the advantages described, the decorative accessory also provides for washable and cleanable embodiments.
Advantageously, the decorative accessory as described is designed to conveniently provide interchangeable use of a single accessory. As such, a person is not limited to wearing a particular accessory on a particular location. Rather, the wearer can select from a variety of locations, accessorize accessories and clothing in innumerable ways, and avoid unnecessary expense and accumulation of clutter. Additionally, the decorative accessory is configured to allow different decorative components such as charms or other jewelry to be interchangeably attached to the decorative accessory.
It can be appreciated that the articles of clothing, accessories, and locations on a wearer's body described above are non-exhaustive, non-limiting examples of the present invention. Although described in terms of specific examples, one of skill in the art will recognize that the present invention described herein may adorn many further articles of clothing, accessories, and locations on a body. Additionally, the decorative accessory of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention can also be used in a number of other applications. For example, the decorative accessory can be used to attach a key to an article of clothing, to attach a blanket to a stroller, or a number of other applications.
In one embodiment, the decorative accessory can be used to embellish articles of clothing such as sweaters, blouses, coats, dresses and the like. In one implementation, the decorative accessory can be attached to an article of clothing in a manner such that the accessory hangs vertically on an article of clothing. Alternatively, the decorative accessory can be attached to an article of clothing in a manner such that the accessory hangs horizontally across the neck area. In alternative embodiments, the decorative accessory can be attached to a watch pocket in a manner such that the accessory extends between the watch and the pocket for security and embellishment purposes. In yet another alternative embodiment, the decorative accessory can be used to attach valuable hand-held electronics such as cell phones, iPods, Bluetooth electronics to pocketbooks, briefcases, backpacks for security and embellishment purposes. In yet another alternative embodiment, the decorative accessory can be used to attach pairs of cuffs, mittens and gloves together. In yet another alternative embodiment, the decorative accessory can be used as an adornment embellishment and identification item for valuable items, such as one's favorite liquor bottle or wedding gifts. The decorative accessory can also be used by teenagers to place his or her bedroom door, bicycle, or other personal items with a locking system attached. Additional applications of the decorative accessory of the preferred embodiments include its use as an attachment to a wedding head piece, woven hair accessory, earrings, belly art, bracelet as medical ID. The decorative accessory can also be used to embellish coats in a variety of ways, such as collar to collar, button hole to button hole, or simply hanging down vertically.
Although the foregoing description of the invention has shown, described and pointed out novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the apparatus as illustrated, as well as the uses thereof, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Consequently the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing discussion but should be defined by the claims to be appended upon filing a nonprovisional application.
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/882,099 filed on Dec. 27, 2006 and entitled INTERCHANGEABLE DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES FOR PERSONAL ADORNMENT.
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60882099 | Dec 2006 | US |