US20120192459A1

US20120192459A1 - Strap-On, a shoe and foot securing piece

Info

Publication number: US20120192459A1
Application number: US12/931,470
Authority: US
Inventors: Buluro Oluwakemi Aderonke
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-02-02
Filing date: 2011-02-02
Publication date: 2012-08-02

Abstract

The strap-on is a small functional and ornamental piece, not attached to a shoe, with an almost circular base and a long oval shaped strap-like top that is worn on a shoe and foot, engaging the shoe at the heel, to fasten the shoe to the foot. With a strap-on, the wearer can conveniently wear 1, 2 or 3 shoes sizes higher than the wearer's normal shoe size. The strap-on can exist with one long strap or with two straps placed adjacently. The strap-on can be made from leather, rubber, plastic and cloth. The strap-on can include hooks, buttons, snaps, buckles and other mechanisms or attachments all of which could be made of rubber, plastic, leather, precious jewels or metals thus having the secondary function of being ornamental. The strap-on is worn in pairs, one for the left foot and one for the right foot.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Dressing up with the right shoes has always been the desire of young girls and women. At many times however it is difficult to find the right size of shoes in the desired kind of shoes. In cases where the shoes sizes of the desired shoes are bigger or smaller than the wearer's feet, the shoes are often discarded.
Some other times some more desperate measures are taken for bigger shoes sizes; where the wearer results to wearing covered shoes with shoe pads, cotton wool and tissue in front of the shoes. However this is not always comfortable and can cause pains to the toes when worn for a long period of time.
Thus there is a need for a shoe and foot securing piece that will secure the foot of a wearer to a bigger sized shoe whilst still enjoying the comfort of the shoe provided by the shoe maker.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The strap-on, the invention described in this patent, satisfies this need and more.
The strap-on is a piece that is worn on a shoe and foot with the primary function of fastening the shoe to the foot so that the wearer can conveniently wear 1, 2 or 3 shoes sizes higher than the wearer's normal shoe size. The strap-on engages the shoe at the heel and the foot at the top of the foot. Because of the way it is worn, it does not hurt the toes even when worn for long periods of time. It fits on the shoe almost like a shoe strap thus following the contour of the shoe and causing no discomfort at all unlike its predecessors.
The strap-on is in two main forms, the first form has one strap, otherwise called the one strap strap-on and the other form has two straps, otherwise called the two strap strap-on. In both forms, the straps are connected, at adjacent points to each other, to an almost circular base with a hole in it, both at an angle of 45 degrees. The heel of a shoe will pass through the hole and the strap (or straps, depending on the form that is worn) will secure around the foot. There can be many variations to these two forms of strap-ons. The strap-on is made to be worn in pairs, one for the left foot and one for the right foot.
The strap-on can be made from all the materials that shoes are currently made of including but not limited to leather, rubber, plastic and cloth. The strap-on can include hooks, buttons, snaps, buckles and other mechanisms or attachments all of which could be made of rubber, plastic, leather, precious jewels or metals. The one strap strap-on is made of a material with some elasticity for ease of wearing. The secondary function of the strap-on is for ornamental purposes.
Further features of this invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the one strap strap-on.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the two strap strap-on, a variation with a buckle.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the one strap strap-on.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the two strap strap-on showing the placement of the straps.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the one strap strap-on; with flowers attached for ornamental purposes.

FIG. 6 shows the wearing process of the one strap strap-on

FIG. 7 shows the wearing process of a two strap strap-on, a variation with a buckle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention can be best understood with reference to the accompanying drawing figures.
The strap-on can be made from all the materials that shoes are currently made of including but not limited to leather, rubber, plastic and cloth. The strap-on can include hooks, buttons, snaps, buckles and other mechanisms or attachments all of which could be made of rubber, plastic, leather, precious jewels or metals.
The strap-on is worn at the ankle part of the foot with the heel of the shoe put through the hole of the strap-on from the top of the strap-on and the straps wrapped around the foot at the ankle part.
Referring now to the drawings, the strap-on is generally designated by reference number 19.
FIG. 1 shows the strap-on 19 in its simplest form, with one strap. In this diagram, it is made of an elastic material. There is no joining and it is made of one strap 2 and a base called the heel ring 1. There is a hole 11 in the heel ring 1 which the heel of the shoe will pass through. It is molded out in this shape. It is molded out to have each strap end 20 and 21 join the heel ring 1 at an angle of 45 degrees. The hole 11 is of an average diameter of 1 ½ inch and the heel ring 1 is ½ inch in width. The strap 2 has a width of ½ inch and a length of 10 inches.
The other form of the strap-on FIG. 2 has two straps 3 and 4. It also has the heel ring 1 and the hole 11. The two straps 3 and 4 are joined at adjacent points in the same direction to the heel ring 1, at points 12 and 13, each at an angle of 45 degrees. The buckle 10 is attached to the strap 4.
FIG. 3 shows the side view of the strap on 19 as is in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows the two strap strap-on, as is in FIG. 2 with the straps, detached. Strap 3 is attached at the end 9 into the heel ring 1 at the hole 8, while the other strap 4 that has the buckle 10 is attached at end 6 into the hole 7 in the heel ring 1. The straps 3 and 4 are attached in the-same direction at an angle of 45 degree to the heel ring 1. The strap 3 has normal buckle hole and is of 8 inches in length while strap 4 which has the buckle 10 is of 4 inches in length.
There can be many variations of the strap-on 19; one is making the hole 11 bigger, up to 2 inches and the heel ring 11 smaller to as small as ¾ inch. Another variation is by adding attachments to the strap-on as in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows artificial flowers 5 added to the one strap strap-on, directly attached to the strap 2. Different things can be attached to both forms of the strap-ons, as is in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, to beautify them.
The two forms of strap-ons are worn in two different ways, though both of them are worn from under the shoe.
FIG. 6 illustrates how to wear the one strap strap-on as is in FIG. 1. First the strap 2 is pulled backwards by a human hand 14 and the hole 11 in the heel ring 1 of the strap-on is placed directly under the heel 18 of the shoe 15. The hand 14 then pulls the strap-on up the heel of the shoe 18 with the heel of the shoe 18 going through the hole 11 in the heel ring 1. When the heel ring 1 reaches the end 16 of the heel 18 of the shoe 15, the strap 2 is then returned to it's normal forward position and pulled forwards by the hand 14 so that the human foot 17 can enter the shoe 15. When the shoe 15 is worn by the foot 17, the strap 2 is released; the strap 2 will rest firmly on the foot 17 securing the shoe to the foot.
FIG. 7 illustrates how the two strap strap-on, as is in FIG. 2, is worn. In this case, the foot 17 is already wearing the shoe. The heel 18 of the shoe 15 goes through the hole 11 in the heel ring 1. When the heel ring 1 reaches the end 16 of the heel 18 of the shoe 15, the straps 3 and 4 are placed over the foot and the buckle 10 is fastened.
The measurements mentioned above are for a standard sized strap-on 19 and can be used for the strap-ons depicted in all the figures in this patent application. However the measurements will differ for different wearers according to the measurement of their feet. The measurements used in this patent application are for a woman's shoe size 7 ½ regular width.

Claims

1. The strap-on is a small functional and ornamental piece, not attached to a shoe, that is made in two forms; one form with a long elastic strap, the other form with two straps, having both ends of the long strap and one end of each strap on the form with two straps connected to an almost circular base, in the same direction, though at adjacent points on the almost circular base, at an angle of 45 degrees.

2. The strap-on is a piece, worn in pairs, one for the right foot and one for the left foot, made from all the materials that shoes are currently made of including but not limited to leather, rubber, plastic and cloth, that is worn on a shoe and foot, with the primary function of fastening the shoe to the foot so that the wearer can conveniently wear 1, 2 or 3 shoes sizes higher than the wearer's normal shoe size.

3. The strap-on has the secondary function of being an ornamental piece to this effect it is made in many variations by attaching hooks, buttons, snaps, buckles and other mechanisms for fasteners and attachments all of which could be made of rubber, plastic, leather, precious jewels or metals.