Sandal with Charms Suspended in Fluid and Attachable Charms

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a sandal constructed with a chamber having a fluid with charms that can be selected and presented to provide a unique visual appearance, and to charms that can be removably attached to the strap of a sandal.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known to add decorative features to an item of footwear by permanently attaching a charm to a fixed location on the outside of the footwear. Sewing the charm onto the outside of the footwear is a commonly used method of attaching the charm to the footwear. Another commonly used attachment method is forming a hole through a part of the footwear and constructing a charm with a stem that is inserted into the hole and then deformed to permanently lock the stem in the hole. The ornamental features of the charm are externally located on top of the location at which the charm is attached to the footwear. Once the charm is attached to the footwear, it is not easy to remove the charm to attach a different charm instead. Removing a sewn on charm would require breaking the stitching without damaging the footwear and then sewing another charm onto the footwear. Removing a charm with a stem that has been deformed in a hole, which is formed through a part of the footwear, would require somehow breaking the stem or changing the deformation without enlarging the hole or otherwise damaging the footwear. None of the known methods of attaching a charm enables the charm to be removably attached to an item of footwear.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,211 issued to Pallera is unrelated to charms, but teaches two embodiments of a sealed pouch that is attached to the outside wall of a basketball sneaker. In one embodiment, the thin pouch contains small cylindrical glowable pieces and is free of a liquid substance. In the other embodiment, the thin pouch contains a mixture of sand and oil. It is also taught that a promotional picture of a celebrity or of a sports figure could be placed in the pouch. The pouch is purely decorative and does not perform any function necessary to secure a foot in the basketball sneaker or to functionally connect parts of the basketball shoe together. The pouch does not contain charms and does not allow for the presentation of decorative themes using charms and/or colored fluid.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a sandal with charms, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a sandal that includes a base and at least one strap connected to the base. The strap includes at least one chamber that is at least translucent. A fluid is located in the chamber, and a plurality of charms is suspended in the fluid located in the chamber.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a removable charm that can be removably attached to a strap of a sandal or of any item of footwear.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a sandal and a removable charm, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of the specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first exemplary embodiment of a sandal constructed with a strap having multiple fluid-containing chambers;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a strap;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second exemplary embodiment of a sandal constructed with a strap having a single fluid-containing chamber;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a third exemplary embodiment of a sandal constructed with a strap and a charm that is removably attached to the strap of a sandal;

FIGS. 5A-5C are diagrams showing a first embodiment of a connector for removably connecting a charm to the strap of a sandal;

FIGS. 6A-6B are diagrams showing a second embodiment of a connector for removably connecting a charm to the strap of a sandal;

FIG. 6C is a diagram showing a third embodiment of a connector for removably connecting a charm to the strap of a sandal;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a differently designed embodiment of a removably attachable charm; and

FIG. 9 shows the differently designed embodiment of the charm attached to a strap.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of a sandal, it should be understood that the sandal could be designed in many different ways. For example, the sandal may or may not include a heel or a wedge, the sandal could be constructed using any number of straps, and the straps could be configured in a number of different ways. The term “sandal” is intended to cover any item of footwear that is secured to a foot using straps or strap-like structures. In addition, the sandal may be constructed using any combination of a number of different materials, for example, portions of the sandal could be constructed from leather, rubber, and/or a plastic material.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a first preferred embodiment of a sandal 10. In this example, the sandal 10 is constructed as a flip-flop or thong 12. The thong 12 includes a base 14 that is constructed such that the person wearing the thong 12 can place her/his foot on the base 14. The thong 12 is also constructed with at least one strap 16 that includes at least one fluid-containing compartment or chamber. The strap 16 shown in FIG. 1 is constructed with three fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20 that are all fluidly isolated from each other. In other words, the fluid in chamber 20 cannot intermix with the fluid in chambers 18 and 19. The fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20 are made from a material that is at least translucent and that is preferably made from a material that is substantially transparent. In addition to the fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20, other portions of the strap 16 or even the entire strap 16 may be made from the translucent or the substantially transparent material, however that is not a requirement, but rather is only an option. Alternatively, portions of the strap 16 other than the one or more fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20 could be made of another material, such as, leather, for example. Another possible option is to construct one or more of the fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20 such that the cross section of the chambers 18,19, and 20 form the entire cross section of the strap 16. In this case, the chambers 18,19, and 20 not only perform a decorative function, but also bear the forces, such as stresses and strains, which are subjected to the strap 16 in securing the foot to the base 14 of the sandal 12.

Of course more than one strap 16, which has one or more fluid-containing chambers 18,19, and 20, could be used. The one or more straps 16 could be designed in many different shapes and sizes and the one or more straps 16 could be configured on the base 14 in numerous different ways. It is possible to configure one or more straps 16 to merely perform decorative functions by directly or indirectly connecting the straps 16 between any selected locations on the base 14. It is, however, preferred that at least one strap 16, which has one or more fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20, function to secure a foot of a person to the base 14 of the thong 12 or to at least assist in securing the foot to the base 14 of the thong 12. In that case, the strap 16 would perform a securing function as well as a decorative function. The invention should not be construed as being limited to using a strap 16 that extends from a location between the toes. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, however, the strap 16 does extend rearward from the base 14 starting at a position that will be located between the toes of the person wearing the thong 12.

The fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20 of the strap 16 are each constructed to contain a fluid such that the fluid is retained inside the chambers 18, 19, and 20 without leakage. A plurality of charm-like structures or charms 22, 24, 26, and 28 will be suspended in the fluid in the chambers 18, 19, and 20. The charms 22-28 will be described in greater detail below. The fluid can be transparent, but is at least translucent to allow the charms 22-28 to be clearly seen. In some designs, the fluid will be substantially clear. In other designs a colored substance may be added to the fluid and/or a phosphorescent substance that will glow in the dark may be added to the fluid. The intensity of the coloring that is added is preferably low enough to ensure that the charms 22-28 can still be clearly seen through the translucent or substantially transparent chambers 18, 19, and 20 of the strap 16. A plurality of decorative granules, such as, for example, glitter, sand, and/or granules that simulate the appearance of snow, may be suspended in the fluid. In some designs, the granules may be suspended in the fluid in addition to an added color and/or an added phosphorescent substance. In some designs, the granules may be suspended in the fluid without adding color or a phosphorescent substance to the fluid.

As will be explained in further detail below, a number of different ornamental effects can be achieved by using different types of specifically designed charms 22-28 that are perhaps combined with colored fluids and/or with decorative granules. Some designs enable the person wearing the thong 12 to show support for an athletic team or a competitive event, while other designs enable the person to indicate a particular hobby, interest, or profession. Other possible designs enable the person to express a festive mood in accordance with a particular holiday, or to show a connection with an entertainment related figure. A longer list of examples of possible designs will be given towards the end of this description. Of course as will now be apparent, the number of possible different designs is large and the invention should not be construed as being limited to the examples given herein.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a single strap 16 is constructed in the shape of a “Y”. The strap 16 extends from the toe position, and each leg of the strap 16 extends to an opposite lateral side of the thong 12. The cross section of the strap 16 may be constructed in any desired shape, for example, circular or rectangular. In order to increase the comfort of the thong 12, however, the shape of the cross section of the strap 16 is preferably designed to provide a flat surface on the side of the strap 16 that contacts the foot of the person wearing the thong 12.

The fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20 of the strap 16 are constructed from a material that is at least translucent and that is preferably substantially transparent so that the charms 22-28, which are suspended in the fluid, can be seen. The transparent material is preferably substantially clear, but the transparent material could also be colored or tinted. A suitable plastics material, for example, could be selected as the material for constructing the fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20 of the strap 16.

The fluid may be selected to have a viscosity to not only suspend the charms 22-28, and perhaps the decorative granules, in the fluid, but to also allow the charms 22-28, and perhaps the decorative granules, to move about and flow freely in the respective fluid containing chambers 18, 19, and 20. For example, the fluid contained in the fluid-containing chamber 18 can be selected to enable the charm 26, which is shaped like a fish, to move about freely in the fluid-containing chamber 18 in response to movement of the thong 12. Such a fluid could be gel, oil, water, or any other liquid or material that will allow the charms 22-28 to move about and flow freely in the fluid.

Since the three fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20 are all fluidly isolated from each other, fluids with different properties can be placed in different fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20. This enables many different ornamental effects to be presented. For example, the thong 12 could be constructed in a holiday theme by placing differently colored fluids in the fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20. A Christmas theme might be represented by placing a red colored fluid in the fluid-containing chamber 20 and by placing a green colored fluid in the fluid-containing chambers 18 and 19. As another example of a Christmas theme, a clear fluid could be placed in one of the fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20, say chamber 20, for example, and a plurality of decorative granules to simulate the appearance of snow could also be placed in the chamber 20. A plurality of suitably designed charms, for example, a plurality of reindeer shaped charms, could also be placed in the chamber 20. The base 14 of the thong 12 could be colored or could have a suitable design placed thereon to be consistent with the Christmas theme.

Similarly a Fourth of July theme could be represented by placing a colored fluid, which is selected from red, white and blue, in each of the different fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20. For example, perhaps, a blue colored fluid could be placed in the fluid-containing chamber 20, and a red colored fluid could be placed in the fluid-containing chambers 18 and 19. Consistent with the Fourth of July theme, the base 14 of the thong 12 could be colored white. A plurality of suitably designed charms, for example, a plurality of flag shaped charms, could also be placed in one or more of the fluid-containing chambers 18, 19, and 20.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an example of a strap 16 constructed with a fluid-containing chamber 18 having a rectangular cross section. For illustrative purposes, only a single decorative granule 30 and a single charm 22 are shown suspended in the fluid 32. It should be understood that a plurality of decorative granules and a plurality of charms would be contained in the fluid 32.

In the additional exemplary embodiments that are described below, elements substantially corresponding to those previously described with reference to FIG. 1 are identified using the same reference numerals, but with one or more added apostrophes.

FIG. 3 shows a second preferred embodiment of a sandal 10′ that is constructed as a flip-flop or thong 12′. The second embodiment of the thong 12′ is constructed identically to the first embodiment of the thong 12 described with reference to FIG. 1, except for the fact that now the strap 16′ is constructed with only a single fluid-containing chamber 20′, which in this embodiment, extends along the entire length of the strap 16′. A plurality of charms 22′ and 24′ are suspended in the fluid contained in the fluid-containing chamber 20′. A plurality of decorative granules 30′, for example, a given quantity of glitter is also suspended in the fluid in the chamber 20′. The decorative granules 30′ are indicated in FIG. 3 by using an arrow pointing to the dot-like granules located at the lower right edge of the strap 16′.

FIG. 4 shows a third preferred embodiment of a sandal 10″ that is constructed as a flip-flop or thong 12″. The third embodiment of the thong 12″ is constructed identically to the first embodiment of the thong 12 described with reference to FIG. 1, except for the way that the strap 16″ is attached to the base 14″ at the location between the toes. Specific details related to the number of fluid-containing chambers are not shown and are not important for understanding the material that follows. A removably attachable charm 50 has been removably attached to the strap 16″. The removably attachable charm 50 can be attached to the strap of any type of sandal and therefore, one should not limit the removably attachable charm 50 to being used with the preferred embodiments of the sandal 10,10′, and 10″ that have been described herein. The removably attachable charm 50 includes a charm body 52 that displays the ornamental features of the charm. The charm body 52 could display the features of any of the different types of charms that will be described below with regard to the charms 22-28 that could be contained in the strap 16″. The removably attachable charm 50 also includes a connector 54 for removably connecting the charm body 52 to the strap 16″. The connector 54 is attached to the charm body 52.

FIGS. 5A-5C show three versions of a first embodiment of the connector 54. All versions are constructed in the same way except for the manner in which the charm body 52A, 52B, or 52C is attached to the connector 54. Each version includes two elongated members 60 and 61 that are connected by a hinge 62 at one end. The hinge 62 allows the elongated members 60, 61 to be pivoted apart so that they may be placed around a strap, such as the strap 16″, for example, which is shown in FIG. 4. After being placed around the strap 16″, the elongated members 60, 61 are then pivoted together so that the magnets 63, 64, which are located at the opposite ends of the elongated members 60, 61, engage and lock the connector 54 around the strap 16″. Since the elongated members 60, 61 and the magnets 63, 64 enclose the strap 16″ on all sides, the connector 54 securely attaches the charm body 52A, 52B, or 52C to the strap 16″ so that movement caused by walking does not allow the charm 50 to become separated from the strap 16″. In FIG. 5A, the charm body 52A is attached to the elongated member 60 by a suitable adhesive. In FIG. 5B, the charm body 52B is attached to the elongated member 60 by magnets 70 and 71. In FIG. 5C, a cord, wire, or chain, which is attached to the charm body 52C, is connected to the eyepiece 72 in order to attach the charm body 52C to the elongated member 60.

In the additional exemplary embodiments that are described below, elements substantially corresponding to those previously described with reference to FIGS. 5A-5C are identified using the same reference numerals, but with one or more added apostrophes.

FIGS. 6A-6B show a second embodiment of a connector 54′ for removably connecting a charm body 52 (not shown in FIGS. 6A-6B) to a strap, such as the strap 16″, for example, which is shown in FIG. 4. The second embodiment of the connector 54′ is designed as a clip configured to surround all of the sides of the strap 16″ in order to prevent the charm body 52 from becoming separated from the strap 16″. The hinge 80 allows one side of the connector 54′ to be momentarily pivoted to an open position so that the strap 16″ can be placed inside the enclosed space of the connector 54′ and, in particular, inside the securing space formed by the curved extension 86 and the inside edge of the non-pivoting top arm 88 of the connector 54′. The normal state of the hinge 80 is biased to keep the connector 54′ in the closed state or position. One side of the connector 54′ has a mounting location 82 for mounting a charm body 52 thereon. One side of the connector 54′ is formed with an expandable portion 84 so that the width of the connector 54′ can be adjusted to fit straps 16″ of different widths. One possible option for constructing the expandable portion 84 is in a manner similar to the expandable portion of some metal wristwatch bands. Many other different construction methods are possible. The outer side of the connector 54′, which is opposite the mounting location 82, should be made to be comfortable if it is likely that it will contact the foot at the location at which the connector 54′ will be attached to the strap 16″. FIG. 6A shows the connector 54′ in a state in which the expandable portion 84 is retracted in its normally biased position. FIG. 6B shows the connector 54′ in a state in which the expandable portion 84 is extended to increase the width.

FIG. 6C shows a third embodiment of a connector 54″ for removably connecting a charm body 52 (not shown in FIG. 6C) to a strap, such as the strap 16″, for example, which is shown in FIG. 4. The third embodiment of the connector 54″ is constructed identically to the second embodiment of the connector 54′ described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, except that now the width of the connector 54″ is fixed since an expandable portion has not been provided.

FIG. 7 shows a differently designed embodiment of a removably attachable charm 90. The charm 90 includes a charm body 52 and a three-pronged clip 92 that is attached to the charm body 52. The three-pronged clip 92 is constructed to attach to a strap at the location of the toe separator. FIG. 9 shows a view of the thong 12″ in which the clip 92 of the charm 90 is attached to the strap 16″ at the location of the toe separator 100. The charm body 52 has not been shown in FIG. 9 so that the attachment of the clip 92 to the strap 16″ can be seen more clearly. FIG. 7 shows a hinge 94 that allows the clip 92 to be opened in an open position, placed onto the strap 16″, and then moved back to the closed position to securely attach the charm body 52 to the strap 16″. FIG. 8 also shows the clip 92 without the charm body 52 so that the prongs of the clip 92 can be seen more clearly.

Many different types of charms 22-28 could be used. The charms 22-28 could vary in shape, size, and/or material. By providing different types of charms 22-28, the thong 12 could be designed to decoratively indicate a particular theme or a particular interest of the person that will be wearing the thong 12. The following description includes a lengthy list of examples of charms 22-28, however the list should not be construed as being exhaustive of all of the construction possibilities that will now be apparent in view of the disclosure herein. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed as symbols, for example, hearts, happy faces, dollar signs, moons, peace signs, lightning bolts, suns, horseshoes, tribal designs, zodiac signs, yin yang symbols, girl symbols, and/or boy symbols, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in different shapes, for example, diamonds, squares, circles, triangles, and/or stars, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed as letters and/or numbers including, for example Greek letters and/or numbers.

Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes to indicate particular a particular sport that a person plays or watches, for example, football, baseball, soccer, basketball, golf, swimming, tennis, volleyball, hockey, skateboarding, surfing, sailing, lacrosse, ice skating, gymnastics, snowboarding, pool, hiking, bowling, dancing, diving, softball, skiing, cheerleading, racing, and/or motor-cross, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed as logos to indicate a particular professional sports franchise, for example, the NFL, NBA, NASCAR, NHL, and/or MLB. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed to indicate college teams and/or could also represent mascots. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed to represent any type of licensed product owned by an entertainment entity, such as, for example, Disney™ or Nickelodeon™ which is a division of Viacom™. Examples of possible such licensed products include Thomas the Tank Engine™, Hannah Montana™, and Bob the Builder™, etc.

Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in a shape to indicate particular a particular hobby or activity, for example, scrap booking, gardening, music, dice, cards, and/or drama, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes to indicate bugs and insects, for example, butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees, spiders, and/or ladybugs, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes to indicate flowers, for example, daisies, sunflowers, pansies, roses, and/or poinsettias, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in transportation shapes, for example, trains, trucks, airplanes, boats, rockets, space shuttles, sleigh, construction vehicles, school bus, motorcycles, and/or monster trucks, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in musical instrument shapes, for example, guitars, drums, drumsticks, saxophones, pianos, music notes, horns, and/or trumpets, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing beach items, such as, for example, flip flops, umbrellas, beach balls, palm trees, sand, beach towels, shells, starfish, sand dollars, and/or bikinis, etc.

Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in the shape of food items, for example, ice cream, apples, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, candy, and/or mushrooms, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing drinks, for example, martini glasses, wine glasses, champagne glasses, and/or milkshakes, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing fashion items, for example, lipstick, purses, shoes, boots, hats, crowns, tiaras, sunglasses, make-up, brushes, and/or bows, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing children's storybook fantasy items, for example, fairies, unicorns, wizards, castles, monsters, princesses, kings, queens, princes and/or mermaids, etc.

Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in animal shapes, for example, dogs, cats, fish, sea creatures, wild animals, birds, and/or farm animals, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed as cultural signs and symbols and/or as rhinestones and gems in array of different colors, shapes and sizes. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed to indicate grooming items, for example, brushes, scissors, perfumes, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed to indicate particular professions, for example, firefighters, police, attorneys, doctors, and/or construction workers, etc. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing baby related items, for example, baby girls, baby boys, diapers, clothespins, rattles, bottles, and/or booties, etc.

Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in shapes representing particular holidays, for example, Christmas, Hanukah, Purim, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentines day, St. Patrick's day, July 4^th, and Halloween. For example, an charm could be constructed in a holiday shape to represent any of the following: tree, wreath, candy cane, Christmas ornament, gingerbread man, gingerbread house, snowman, reindeer, elf, snowflake, sleigh, present, Santa Clause; menorah, dreidel, gelt; Hamantashen; rabbit, eggs, baskets, umbrella, candy, eggs, flower, chick; turkey, pilgrims, Indians, fruit, maple leaf; cupid, hearts, x's and o's, kiss mark; clover leaf, leprechaun; fireworks, flag, food; and pumpkin, ghost, candy, witch, bat, and skeleton. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in a shape representing a person's initials, for example, “CT” or “SF”. Some of the charms 22-28 could be constructed in a shape representing a phrase, for example, “HOT STUFF”.

Sandal with Charms Suspended in Fluid and Attachable Charms

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