U.S. patent application number 09/949403 was filed with the patent office on 2002-03-14 for removable and interchangeable shoe tongue.
Invention is credited to Small, Ina R..
Application Number | 20020029494 09/949403 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26925510 |
Filed Date | 2002-03-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020029494 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Small, Ina R. |
March 14, 2002 |
Removable and interchangeable shoe tongue
Abstract
The present invention is a detachable tongue for a shoe. The
shoe has an upper covering, disposed on a sole, which defines an
instep opening and an ankle opening communicating therewith. The
instep opening has a fore end and an aft end. The detachable tongue
is an elongated strip of material having fore and aft ends which is
disposed in the instep opening. The shoe with the detachable tongue
includes means for removably fastening the strip to the upper
covering at the instep opening. The fastening means includes
fasteners such as a fabric fastener defining a hook and loop
fastening system, one or more buttons, a snap system, a hook and
eye system, a zipper, and a string system. In one embodiment the
detachable tongue is removably disposed on the upper covering of
the shoe at the fore end of the instep opening such that the
fastener is hidden from view.
Inventors: |
Small, Ina R.; (Aventura,
FL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROBERT C. KAIN, JR.
750 SOUTHEAST THIRD AVENUE
SUITE 100
FT LAUDERDALE
FL
333161153
|
Family ID: |
26925510 |
Appl. No.: |
09/949403 |
Filed: |
September 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60231871 |
Sep 12, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/54 ;
36/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 23/24 20130101;
A43B 23/26 20130101; A43B 3/0078 20130101; A43C 11/20 20130101;
A43B 3/242 20130101; A43B 3/24 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/54 ;
36/100 |
International
Class: |
A43B 023/26; A43B
003/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A detachable tongue for a shoe, said shoe having an upper
covering disposed on a sole, said upper covering defining an instep
opening and an ankle opening communicating therewith, said instep
opening having a fore end and an aft end, said detachable tongue
comprising: an elongated strip of material having fore and aft ends
adapted to be disposed in said instep opening; and means for
removably fastening said fore end of said strip to said upper
covering near said fore end of said instep opening.
2. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastening
means is disposed at the strip fore end.
3. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastening
means is a fastener from the group of a fabric fastener defining a
hook and loop fastening system, one or more buttons, a snap system,
a hook and eye system, a zipper, and a string system.
4. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastening
means is disposed at the strip fore end and beneath said upper
covering such that said fastening means is hidden from view.
5. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated
strip of material includes cushioning.
6. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fastening
means permits said strip to be removed.
7. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strip is
one of a plurality of strips adapted to be interchanged.
8. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strip
bears indicia including indicia from the group of advertising
indicia, wearer indicia, team member indicia, and trademark
indicia.
9. A shoe, comprising: a sole; an upper covering disposed on said
sole, said upper covering defining an instep opening and an ankle
opening communicating therewith, said instep opening having a fore
end and an aft end; a detachable tongue having fore and aft ends,
said tongue removably disposed in said instep opening; and means
for removably fastening said fore end of said tongue with said
upper covering near said fore end of said instep opening.
10. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said fastening means are
disposed at the tongue fore end and the instep opening fore
end.
11. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said fastening means is a
fastener from the group of a fabric fastener defining a hook and
loop fastening system, one or more buttons, a snap system, a hook
and eye system, a zipper, and a string system.
12. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said fastening means are
disposed at the tongue fore end and on an underside of said upper
covering.
13. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said tongue includes
cushioning.
14. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said fastening means
permits said tongue to be removed.
15. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said tongue is one of a
plurality of tongues adapted to be interchanged.
16. A shoe as claimed in claim 9 wherein said tongue bears indicia
including indicia from the group of advertising indicia, wearer
indicia, team member indicia, and trademark indicia.
17. A detachable tongue for a shoe, said shoe having an upper
covering disposed on a sole, said upper covering defining an instep
opening and an ankle opening communicating therewith, said instep
opening having a fore end, an aft end, and side walls, said
detachable tongue comprising: an elongated strip of material having
a fore end, an aft end, and opposing side walls, said strip adapted
to be disposed in said instep opening; and one or more fasteners
disposed on said strip at one or more locations from the group
consisting of a fore end location and opposing side wall locations,
for removably fastening said said strip to said upper covering.
18. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is disposed at the strip fore end.
19. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is disposed at the strip fore end and one of the
strip side walls.
20. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is disposed at the strip fore end and both of the
opposing side walls.
21. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is disposed at both of the opposing side walls.
22. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is a fastener from the group of a fabric fastener
defining a hook and loop fastening system, one or more buttons, a
snap system, a hook and eye system, a zipper, and a string
system.
23. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said one or
more fasteners is disposed on the strip and beneath said upper
covering such that said one or more fasteners is hidden from
view.
24. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said
elongated strip of material includes cushioning.
25. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said strip
is one of a plurality of strips adapted to be interchanged.
26. A detachable tongue as claimed in claim 17 wherein said strip
bears indicia including indicia from the group of advertising
indicia, wearer indicia, team member indicia, and trademark
indicia.
27. A shoe, comprising: a sole; an upper covering disposed on said
sole, said upper covering defining an instep opening and an ankle
opening communicating therewith, said instep opening having a fore
end, an aft end and opposing side walls; a detachable tongue having
a fore end, an aft end, and opposing side walls, said tongue
removably disposed in said instep opening; and one or more
fasteners disposed on said tongue at one or more locations from the
group consisting of a fore end location and opposing side wall
locations.
28. A shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein said one or more
fasteners is a fastener from the group of a fabric fastener
defining a hook and loop fastening system, one or more buttons, a
snap system, a hook and eye system, a zipper, and a string
system.
29. A shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein said one or more
fasteners is disposed on said tongue and on an underside of said
upper covering.
30. A shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein said tongue includes
cushioning.
31. A shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein said tongue is one of a
plurality of tongues adapted to be interchanged.
32. A shoe as claimed in claim 27 wherein said tongue bears indicia
including indicia from the group of advertising indicia, wearer
indicia, team member indicia, and trademark indicia.
Description
[0001] This is a regular patent application based upon provisional
patent application Ser. No. 60/231,871 filed Sep. 12, 2000, now
pending.
[0002] The present invention relates to a removable and
interchangeable shoe tongue.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Most shoes are made with an opening having a tongue
originating near the front of the shoe which allows a person to
more easily insert a foot into the shoe. The shoe's tongue protects
the foot from the elements and/or protects a person's instep from
fastening means which may be present above the tongue. The shoe's
tongue usually runs along the instep up to the point where the
person's shin meets the foot at or about the ankle line. Shoes with
tongues are constructed such that the tongue is permanently
attached to the shoe, i.e. the tongue cannot be removed without
causing damage or destroying the shoe.
[0004] There is a need for a shoe with a removable tongue. A
removable tongue allows a person to change the aesthetic appearance
of the shoe by exchanging one tongue for another. In addition, a
removable tongue makes cleaning the shoe easier, as the areas of
the shoe below the laces or other fastening means is often times
the most difficult to access for cleaning and/or polishing.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a shoe
with a removable tongue.
[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an interchangeable tongue for a shoe.
[0007] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
removable tongue such that the shoe tongue can be removed and
reattached by a simple method.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide an
interchangeable tongue for a shoe with indicia such that the shoe
can be customized for a particular purpose or event.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a detachable tongue for a shoe. The
shoe has an upper covering, disposed on a sole, which defines an
instep opening and an ankle opening communicating therewith. The
instep opening has a fore end near the front of the shoe and an aft
end adjacent the ankle opening. The openings permit insertion of a
person's foot in the shoe such that the instep opening is adjacent
the person's instep when the foot is in the shoe. The detachable
tongue is an elongated strip of material having fore and aft ends
which is disposed in the instep opening such that the fore and aft
ends of the strip substantially align with the fore and aft ends of
the instep opening, respectively. The shoe with the detachable
tongue includes a fastener at the fore end of the strip to attach
the tongue to the upper covering near the fore end of the instep
opening. The fastener for the detachable tongue includes a fabric
fastener defining a hook and loop fastening system, one or more
buttons, a snap system, a hook and eye system, a zipper, and a
string system. The fastener can be hidden from view such as by
locating it on an underside of the upper covering. The detachable
tongue can include cushioning.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Further objects and advantages of the present invention can
be found in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments
when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in
which:
[0011] FIG. 1A diagrammatically illustrates a shoe with a removable
tongue;
[0012] FIG. 1B diagrammatically illustrates the removable tongue
separate from the shoe;
[0013] FIG. 1C diagrammatically illustrates an interchangeable
tongue;
[0014] FIGS. 2A and 2B diagrammatically illustrate a shoe with a
removable tongue having a fabric fastener;
[0015] FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of a shoe
with a removable tongue having a zipper fastener;
[0016] FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of a
strap or string system fastener between the removable tongue and a
shoe;
[0017] FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates a cross-sectional view
of the removable tongue;
[0018] FIG. 6 illustrates a partial view of a button system
fastener between the interchangeable tongue and the upper covering
of the shoe;
[0019] FIG. 7 illustrates a partial view of a hook and eye
fastening system between the detachable tongue and the shoe;
and
[0020] FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C illustrate the detachable tongue with
various indicia.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The present invention relates to a detachable tongue for a
shoe. The detachable tongue can be utilized on all types of shoes
with an instep area accommodating a flexible material utilized for
fastening and removing the shoes. For example, the detachable
tongue can be used for dress shoes, deck shoes, tennis shoes,
cleats, or other athletic shoes. The detachable tongue permits the
wearer to customize the shoes by replacing one tongue for another.
For example, the members of a sporting team could replace the
tongues on their shoes to have their team insignia, logo or mascot
displayed on the tongue of their shoes.
[0022] FIG. 1A diagrammatically illustrates a shoe 20 with a
removable or detachable tongue 12. The shoe 20 illustrated in FIG.
1A is a tennis shoe-style athletic shoe, commonly referred to as a
sneaker. The shoe does not have a shoe string or lace threaded
through its eyelets 26. The tongue 12 protrudes upward through the
instep opening 30 defined by the upper covering 32 of the shoe. The
upper covering 32 refers to the entire upper portion of the shoe,
which would include what is traditionally referred to as the shoe's
vamp, tip, collar, quarter, foxing and mudguard. The upper covering
32 is attached to the sole 34 and defines an instep opening 30 and
an ankle opening 36 communicating therewith. The instep opening 30
has a fore end 40 near the front of the shoe, an aft end 42
adjacent the ankle opening 36, and two opposing sides 44, 46. The
instep opening 30 and ankle opening 36 are large enough to permit
insertion of a person's foot in the shoe 20. The shoe's tongue 12
is disposed within the instep opening 36 and typically covers a
person's instep, that is, the upper surface of the arched middle
portion of the foot in front of the ankle joint. Similar items are
identified by similar reference numbers throughout the
drawings.
[0023] The detachable tongue 12 is an elongated strip of material
having fore and aft ends 50, 52 which is disposed in the instep
opening 36 such that the fore and aft ends of the strip 50, 52
substantially align with the fore and aft ends of the instep
opening 40, 42, respectively. The strip or detachable tongue 12 can
be made of any material suitable for the particular type of shoe
and known by those skilled in the art, such as leather, cloth,
canvas, vinyl, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the
detachable tongue 12 includes cushioning 58 (see FIG. 5) which can
be a synthetic sponge material, for example, or similar
material.
[0024] FIGS. 1B and 1C diagrammatically illustrate two
interchangeable, detachable tongues 12. Tongue 12 in FIG. 1B
includes indicia 14 in the form of a star. Tongue 12 in FIG. 1C
illustrates a star and stripes indicia 14, 16.
[0025] In one embodiment, the shoe 20 with the detachable tongue 12
includes one or more fasteners at the fore end of the strip to
attach the tongue to the upper covering 32 near the fore end 40 of
the instep opening 30. FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C illustrate the use of a
snap system to removably fasten the tongue 12 to the upper covering
32. In FIGS. 1B and 1C, two snaps 60, 62 are disposed on the fore
end 50 of strip 12. The snaps 60, 62 correspond to the snap
counterparts 70, 72 (shown in dashed circles) located on the
underside or beneath the upper covering 32 at the fore end 40 of
the instep opening 30. This embodiment allows the fastening means
to be hidden from view.
[0026] FIGS. 2A and 2B diagrammatically illustrate another
embodiment of the shoe 20 and detachable tongue 12 in which the
fastening means between the interchangeable tongue 12 and upper
covering 32 is a fabric fastener 22. The fabric fastener 22 defines
a hook and loop fastening system in which a strip of fabric having
small hooks is affixed to one surface and another strip of fabric
having miniature loops is affixed to the other surface, such that a
mechanical bond is formed when the two strips come in contact with
each other. In FIG. 2A, one part of the fabric fastener system 22
is attached to the underside of the upper covering 32 at the fore
end 40 of the instep opening and the other part of the fabric
fastener 10 is attached to the fore end 50 of the detachable tongue
12.
[0027] FIG. 3 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of
another embodiment of the fastening system between the shoe 20 and
a corresponding detachable tongue 12. The tongue 12 in FIG. 3 is
attached or fastened to the shoe 20 by a zipper system 74 in which
the fore end 50 of the strip and the two opposing sides 54, 56 are
connected to the instep opening 30. A portion of the aft end 52 of
the strip is not attached. The zipper system 74 can also be
utilized to connect only a portion of the tongue 12 to the upper
covering 32. For example, the zipper 74 can be used to connect only
the fore end 50 of the tongue 12 to the upper covering 32 at the
fore end 40 of the instep opening 30. Likewise, two zipper systems
can be utilized to fasten the tongue 12 to either of the upper
covering opposing sides 44', 46'.
[0028] FIG. 4 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of
another embodiment of the fastener between the detachable tongue 12
and shoe 20. In FIG. 4, a string or lace system is utilized in
which the detachable tongue 12 is laced to the fore end of the
upper covering 32. The laces 76 are held taut or fastened through
the use of a buckle 78. The strings or laces 76 can also be tied
together as regular shoe laces are traditionally tied.
[0029] FIG. 6 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of a
button fastening system. In FIG. 6, buttons 80, 80' are attached to
the tongue 12. The buttons substantially align with button slits
82, 82', respectively. Besides fastening the tongue 12 to the upper
covering 32 of the shoe, the buttons also serve to change the
appearance of the shoe through the indicia 14 marking the surface
of the button.
[0030] FIG. 7 diagrammatically illustrates a partial view of one
embodiment of a hook and eye fastening system. The detachable
tongue 12 includes small hooks 84, 84' which latch on to small
eyelets or loops 86, 86' attached to the shoe's upper covering.
[0031] There are numerous fasteners that can be utilized to
securely attach the tongue 12 to the upper covering 32 of the shoe
20 commonly known by those skilled in the art. For example, the
previously described hook and eye system could be used throughout
the tongue. Also, the fabric hook and loop system described earlier
can be used in conjunction with small straps. The fasteners
included in the drawings are merely exemplary, and not intended to
limit the scope of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 5 diagrammatically illustrates a cross-sectional view
of the detachable tongue 12 from the perspective of reference line
5'5" in FIG. 4. The detachable tongue in FIG. 5 is constructed with
three layers. The outer layers 48, 48' are made on leather or
similar material commonly used to construct shoes. The inner layer
58 is made of a cushioning material, such as a synthetic sponge
material to add comfort.
[0033] The detachable tongue 12 allows the wearer to interchange
one tongue for another to change the look, and sometimes the style
of the shoe. For example, the shoe 20 and interchangeable,
detachable tongues 12 depicted in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C have indicia
14, 16, 18. The shoe 20 includes a star 18 on the side of the upper
covering 32. The tongue 12 in FIG. 1B includes a star 14 at the aft
end 52 of the strip. The interchangeable tongue 12 in FIG. 1C
includes a double-star 14 and stripes 16. By taking out one tongue
and replacing it with another with different indicia, the shoe can
be customized. The wearer or owner of the shoe could attach a
tongue with the wearer's indicia, for example, the wearer's
initials or name. See indicia 14 in FIG. 8C. Several members of a
team could change the tongues of their shoes to include indicia
bearing the team's letters, colors, mascot, etc. See indicia 14 in
FIG. 8B. Children's shoes could include several tongues bearing
favorite cartoon characters. The tongue can also include trademark
indicia or be used to advertise a particular brand as illustrated
in FIG. 8A.
[0034] The claims appended hereto are meant to cover modifications
and changes within the scope and spirit of the present
invention.
* * * * *