US20120204441A1

US20120204441A1 - Sandal and strap assembly

Info

Publication number: US20120204441A1
Application number: US12/931,918
Authority: US
Inventors: Eleanor Ruth Conner; Katherine Longley Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-15
Filing date: 2011-02-15
Publication date: 2012-08-16

Abstract

A sandal and strap assembly with a sole and a strap portion. The sole has three loop strap retaining members. One loop is located between the user's big toe and second toe. The second and third loops reside on the left and right side of the user's ankle. The sole comprised of a bonded upper and a lower member. Each loop protrudes through a slit in the upper member. The ends of each loop form a T shape which is trapped between the upper and lower sole member. The strap comprised of a single flexible elongate member and is threaded through the first loop in an equidistant manner. The right and left ends of the strap member are threaded through the second and third loops. The remaining ends of the strap are wrapped around the user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of sandal construction and more specifically to a flip flop type sandal and strap assembly.
Sandals are a common form of footwear and have existed for thousands of years. A more recent form of sandal is known as a flip flop. It is a simple sandal that includes a sole and two straps. One strap travels from a spot located between the user's big toe and second toe and ends at the right side of the user's ankle. The second strap starts from the same location between the user's big toe and second toe and ends at the left side of the user's ankle.
Over the years, various unique modifications and variations of the flip flop have been designed and patented. For example, Shane Kao in U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,330 has shown a sandal with removable strap where the sole platform has a plurality of openings that allow a strap to protrude through the opening and be fastened with button members located on the underside of the sole.
However, none of the designs shown in the prior art disclose a flip flop type sandal that can easily and quickly allow the user to install or remove decorative straps to customize the decorative effect of the sandal and the appearance of the tied straps as they appear on user's leg.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sandal and strap assembly that lets the user customize the strap design that holds the sandal onto the user's foot and leg.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sandal and strap assembly that lets the user quickly remove and replace the strap members to create any one of a multitude of designs.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed sandal and strap assembly comprising: a sole portion, a strap portion, said sole portion having three loop type strap retaining members fixedly attached, the first said strap retaining loop member located in the area between the user's big toe and second toe, the second said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the right side of the user's ankle, the third said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the left side of the user's ankle, said sole portion comprised of an upper member and a lower member, each said loop member protruding through a slit in said upper member, the ends of said loop members spread out into a T shape, said T shape trapped between said upper sole member and said lower sole member when said upper and lower members are bonded together, said strap portion comprised of a single flexible elongate member, said strap member threaded through said first strap retaining loop in an equidistant manner, the right portion of said strap member being threaded through said second strap retaining loop, the left portion of said strap member being threaded through said third strap retaining loop, and the remaining ends of said strap portion being wrapped around the user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sole of the invention with the strap removed.

FIG. 2 is a section view showing the attachment of the loops to the sole.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the sole with strap threaded through the loops.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one version of tying the strap to the user's leg.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second version of tying the strap to the user's leg.

FIG. 6 is a partial view of a sewn fabric strap.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the invention using a wedge shaped heel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a perspective view of the sole portion 100 of the present invention. The sole is comprised of a top member 2 and a bottom member 4 that are bonded together with standard adhesive materials. Top portion 2 of the sole is preferably made of flexible closed cell polyurethane foam material. The bottom 4 portion of the sole is preferably made of flexible polyurethane sheet material which has a high abrasion resistance. The bottom portion 4 can have a serrated lower surface to increase traction during use. However, it should be noted that the sole may be made out of any flexible material and remain within the scope of the present invention. And it should be noted that the side profile of the sole can be other shapes such as the wedge shape 200 shown in FIG. 8 which has a wedge shaped upper sole 202 and a lower sole 204. other than a The top portion 2 of the sole includes three slits 9, 12, 14 that allow loop members 10, 6, 8 to protrude out. The loops 6, 8, 10 can be made out of any flexible, durable material such as leather or flexible plastic. The forward most loop 10 is located in the area of a user's toes, specifically between the big toe and the second toe. Loop member 6 is located at the area corresponding to the right side of the user's ankle. Loop member 8 is located at the area corresponding to the left side of the user's ankle.
Section line 50 defines the section view shown in FIG. 2. In this view, it can be seen that loop 10 protruding through slit 9. The lower end of loop 10 splits to form a T shape 18, 20. This portion 18, 20 is fixedly retained by standard adhesive means, between lower sole portion 4 and upper sole portion 2. The entire lower sole portion 4 and upper sole portion 2 are bonded together at surface plane 16.
FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the sole 100 with the strap 20 portion of the invention threaded through loops 6, 8, 10. After being inserted through the loops 10, 8, 6, the strap is pulled so that each resulting length is equidistant from loop 10. The strap 20 can be made from any of a variety of flexible materials including fabric, leather, metallic chain links, cording and plastic rope or sheeting. The strap 20 can also be any color or pattern thereby giving the user virtually infinite choice in final sandal design.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a person wearing the sandal of the present invention. The strap 20 is wrapped around the user's ankle in a decorative and functional fashion that securely holds the sole 100 to the bottom of the user's 30 foot. The strap 20 is secured by standard releasable knot 24.
FIG. 5 shows another version of a person wearing the sandal 100 of the present invention. In this version, the strap 20 is wound higher on the user's 30 leg creating a different look. Other lacing and tying techniques can be shown in a description page or pages that is included with each pair of sandals.
The above drawings shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 show the invention used in conjunction with the user's right foot. It should be noted that a mirror image of these drawings, not shown, would describe the sandal worn on the user's left foot.
It should also be noted that the number of loops that slidably retain the strap can be more than the three loops 6, 8, 10 shown in the preferred embodiment. For example two additional loops can be placed on either side of the user's heel. These additional loops can help the user create even more diverse strap wrapping designs when applying the strap 20 around the user's leg.
FIG. 6 shows a partial perspective view of a portion of the strap 20. This version of the strap 20 can made by taking a long length of fabric, for example cotton fabric, and folding it over and sewing it along the edge and then sewing the edges together 26. The resulting strap is then turned inside out as shown in FIG. 6 so that the sewn edges are hidden. Other forms of straps can be made, for example, the edges of a two inch wide length of cotton jersey fabric naturally roll in towards each other 40, 42 as shown in FIG. 7 thereby creating a large shoe lace-like product. Obviously, other flexible materials such as leather or plastic can be cut into long strips and used. A person can sew a dress or pair of shorts out of a decorative material, and then take strips of the same material and fabricate straps 20 for the sandals of the present invention creating a unified overall appearance.
It should be noted that, even though the description above relates to a sandal design, the same technology can also be applied to other sole designs such as a mid height heel or high heel sole or a wedge shaped sole as shown in FIG. 8.
While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. sandal and strap assembly comprising:

a sole portion;

a strap portion;

said sole portion having three loop type strap retaining members fixedly attached;

said first said strap retaining loop member located in the area between the user's big toe and second toe;

said second said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the right side of the user's ankle;

said third said strap retaining loop member located to reside near the left side of the user's ankle;

said sole portion comprised of an upper member and a lower member;

each said loop member protruding through a slit in said upper member;

each end of each said loop member spread out into a T shape;

said T shape trapped between said upper sole member and said lower sole member when said upper and said lower members are bonded together;

said strap portion comprised of a single flexible elongate member;

said strap member threaded through said first strap retaining loop in an equidistant manner;

the right portion of said strap member being threaded through said second strap retaining loop;

the left portion of said strap member being threaded through said third strap retaining loop; and

the remaining ends of said strap portion being wrapped around a user's ankle and leg and then tied in a releasable knot.

2. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap portion is constructed of a strip of fabric;

said fabric folded in half lengthwise;

said fabric edges sewn together forming a long tubular shape

said tubular shape turned inside out forming a smooth elongate member.

3. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein an alternate version of said strap construction an approximately two inch wide strip of jersey cotton fabric;

the left and right elongate edges of said fabric naturally rolling inward toward each other forming a strip with rolled edges.

4. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of a strip of leather.

5. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of flexible plastic.

6. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strap is constructed of metal chain.

7. A sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the side profile of said sandal sole is wedge shaped.

8. An alternated embodiment of said sandal and strap assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein additional said loop type strap retaining members are added to said sole portion giving said user the ability to create additional strap wrapping designs.