Charm strap

Abstract

A strap system configured to be attached to an accessory, a strap having a first end and a second end located on the opposite side of the first end, an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to the accessory, a lock portion configured to attach the second end of the strap to the accessory, and one or more charms configured to be worn on the strap.

Description

Background Art

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 336,403, filed on April 29, 2023, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] Consumer apparel and accessories such as wallets, backpacks, hats, etc. are commonly used. Since many of such accessories are mass-produced, users often want to add personality to their accessories. Such users customize their accessories with personal touches such as their initials or the logos of their favorite sports teams.

[0003] Currently available options for customizing accessories include permanently embroidering or engraving selected features onto the accessory, as well as temporary customizations including pins, keychains, and temporary patches attached with surface fasteners such as Velcro®.

[0004] These methods of customization have several drawbacks. Permanent customization is difficult to remove or change when the user changes their preferences or the owner of the accessory changes. Temporary customization can damage the accessory, such as pins that create holes in the accessory. Temporary customization can also cause unexpected problems, such as when the backside of a pin loosens and the pin, patch, or other functionality comes off and is lost.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for accessories that address some or all of these drawbacks.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention provide a charm strap that can be attached to an accessory, one or more charms configured to slide on the strap, and a method of using the same.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The above features and / or utilities of the general inventive concept of the present invention are achieved by providing a strap system configured to be attached to an accessory. The system includes a strap having a first end and a second end disposed opposite the first end, an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to the accessory, a locking portion configured to attach the second end of the strap to the accessory, and one or more charms configured to fit onto the strap.

[0008] In one embodiment, the attachment point can be configured to detachably attach the first end of the strap to the accessory.

[0009] In one embodiment, each of the one or more charms includes a slot configured to fit onto the strap and a front face configured to face away from the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

[0010] In one embodiment, each of the one or more charms further includes a back face configured to face the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

[0011] In one embodiment, at least one of the one or more charms can further include a cord extending away from the body of the charm. The front and back faces of the one or more charms can be connected to the body of the charm via the cord.

[0012] In one embodiment, at least one of the one or more charms can have a front and a back that each comprise a plurality of separable portions attachable to the charm body.

[0013] In one embodiment, at least one of the one or more charms can have a front that is integratable inside the charm body.

[0014] In one embodiment, the locking portion can include a stud mounted to the accessory, the stud being configured to be inserted through a hole into the strap.

[0015] In one embodiment, the locking portion can attach the second end of the strap to the accessory by friction between the stud and the hole.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least one of the size and shape of the strap can be defined based on the accessory.

[0017] The above-described features and / or other features and advantages of the general inventive concept of the present invention can be achieved by providing a strap configured to attach one or more charms to an accessory, the strap including a strap body configured to fit into respective slots of the one or more charms, an attachment point configured to attach a first end of the strap body to the accessory, and a locking portion configured to attach a second end of the strap body to the accessory, the second end of the strap body being disposed at an end opposite the first end of the strap body.

[0018] The above-described features and / or other features and advantages of the general inventive concept of the present invention can be achieved by providing a method of attaching one or more charms to an accessory, the method comprising providing a strap attached to the accessory at an attachment point disposed at a first end of the strap, bending the strap away from the accessory, sliding the strap into slots disposed in each of the one or more charms, and securing a second end of the strap to the accessory with a lock disposed at the second end of the strap, the second end of the strap being disposed on the side opposite the first end of the strap.

[0019] Additional features and advantages of the general inventive concept of the present invention are described in part in the following description, and in part will be apparent from the description, or can be learned by practice of the general inventive concept.

[0020] These features and / or utilities of the general inventive concept of the present invention will become apparent and be more readily understood from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 2D

Figure 2E

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Next, embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention will be described in detail. The examples are shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements throughout. Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings to explain the general inventive concept of the present invention. In explaining the general inventive concept of the present invention, descriptions of related well-known functions or configurations that may reduce the clarity of the gist of the inventive concept of the present invention will be omitted.

[0023] Expressions such as "at least one" preceding a list of elements modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

[0024] All terms, including descriptive and technical terms used herein, should be construed as having meanings obvious to those skilled in the art. However, these terms may have different meanings depending on the intention of those skilled in the art, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. Also, some terms can be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, the meaning of the selected terms will be explained in detail in the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used herein must be defined based on the meaning of the terms, together with the description throughout this specification.

[0025] Also, when a component "includes" or "comprises" an element, unless there is a special description to the contrary, the component can further include other elements and does not exclude other elements.

[0026] Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a strap system according to one embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention. This system includes a strap 100, which interacts with one or more charms 200. As shown in FIG. 1, the strap 100 can be attached to an accessory 1000. The accessory 1000 can be, for example, a bag, clothing, etc. The accessory 1000 shown in the drawings is provided only as an example. Without departing from the general inventive concept of the present invention, accessories 1000 of other sizes and shapes can be used.

[0028] According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the strap 100 can have a design similar to that of the accessory 1000. For example, if the accessory 1000 includes a shoulder strap, the strap 100 can have a color and appearance similar to that of the shoulder strap, and as a result, the strap 100 will appear to match the accessory 1000.

[0029] Figures 2A and 2B represent, respectively, a strap 100 having a charm 200 and one without it. In accordance with an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the strap 100 can be made of a flexible material such as silicon, leather, vegan leather, or rubber. The material of the strap 100 can have a high coefficient of friction, so that an object placed thereon does not easily slip off. The strap 100 can be attached to the accessory 1000 at an attachment point 110 disposed on the accessory 1000 at a first end of the strap 100. This attachment point 110 can consist of, for example, a stitch, an adhesive, or other similar means of attaching the strap 100 to the accessory 1000. The attachment point 110 is represented by a wavy line for representing a stitch as a possible attachment method. Similarly, the dashed line around the strap 100 represents a stitch around the perimeter of the strap 100. Such perimeter stitching can be aesthetic and / or structural, for example, strengthening the edge of the strap 100 and holding together multiple layers of material to form the strap 100.

[0030] The attachment point 110 can fix the first end of the strap 100 to the accessory 1000 so that the strap 100 can be bent away from the accessory 1000 to fit one or more charms 200 onto the strap 100 (to fit, English: fit). According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the attachment point 110 can be a permanent one, such as stitching, or other permanent attachment. Thereby, the strap 100 is not removed or accidentally removed from the accessory 1000. According to another embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the attachment point 110 can be a removable one, such as a rivet, stud, snap, button, or a structure consisting of other structures, whereby the strap 100 can be completely removed from the accessory 1000 as needed. Such an embodiment is represented in FIG. 2c.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a top view of the strap 100 and the charm 200 attached to the wall portion of the accessory 1000, according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention. As shown herein, the strap 100 can be removably attached to the accessory 1000 at a lock portion 120 disposed at a second end of the strap 100, opposite the first end. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the lock portion 120 can consist of an anchor point 121 and a hole 122 (shown in FIG. 2B). The anchor point 121 can include, for example, a tab, a pin, a stud, a rivet, or a similar feature attached to the accessory 1000, and can be made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic. The hole 122 can be formed in the strap 100 and can extend to allow the anchor point 121 to pass therethrough. The anchor point 121 can be pushed through the hole 122 by the user, but can be sized such that it does not pass through the hole 122 without an external force. In operation, the user can insert the anchor point 121 through the hole 122 of the strap 100 and, if desired, pull the anchor point 122 back through the hole 122 to disengage the lock portion 120 and detach the strap 100 from the accessory 1000.

[0032] According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking part 120 can fix the strap 100 in a predetermined position only by friction. For example, the anchor point 121 can be composed of a flare head of a stud. This cannot pass through the hole 122 without an external force applied by the user. Such an embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. According to other embodiments, the anchor point 121 can include additional security means. This is, for example, a pin 123 inserted by adding a stud, which prevents the strap 100 from slipping off the anchor point 121 unintentionally. Such a pin 123 is represented by a dashed line in FIG. 3 to indicate that it is detachable from the anchor point 121, and furthermore, it is not necessarily included in all embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the hole 122 can be formed in the same plane as the main body of the strap 100. This can prevent the hole 122 from interfering with the charm as described later when the charm 200 is fitted to the strap 100.

[0033] It will be understood that different embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention can use different mechanisms as the locking part 120. For example, the locking part 120 can be composed of a button, a snap, or a similar structure used to fix the accessory 1000 to the second end of the strap 100. According to other embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking part can be composed of, for example, an adhesive or stitching. This attaches the strap 100 to the accessory 1000 until the locking part 120 can be removed by the user, for example, by the stitching being separated or the adhesive being removed. Such an embodiment of the inventive concept of the present invention is represented in FIG. 2D. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking part 120 can strongly hold the strap 100 in a predetermined position. The holding is done strongly enough to hold a plurality of charms 200 and / or other objects, for example, the user's sunglasses. At that time, the weight of the charm 200 and / or other objects does not release the lock 120.

[0034] Each charm 200 is composed of any physical item that can be fitted onto the strap 100. FIGS. 4A and 4B represent side views of a charm 200 according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention. As shown in the figures, the charm 200 can include a body 210 that includes a slot 210. Each charm 200 can further include a front face 220 that is configured to face away from the accessory 100 when the charm 200 is positioned on the strap 100. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the charm 200 can also include a back face 230. The back face 230 is configured to face towards the accessory 1000 when the charm 200 is positioned on the strap 100. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, each charm 200 can be made of a rigid material such as, for example, metal or plastic. Each charm 200 can be sized to be suitable for fitting onto the strap 100.

[0035] Slot 210 can be a cavity formed in the body of charm 200. This cavity has a size and shape suitable for receiving strap 100. In operation, strap 100 can be inserted through slot 210, whereby charm 200 is fitted onto strap 100. Front face 220 can be part of charm 200 intended to be displayed and can be formed with any desired features, including numbers, letters, logos, images, etc. In accordance with an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, front face 220 can include one or more colors so as to provide the intended appearance to charm 200.

[0036] In accordance with an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the back face 230 of charm 200 can have the same shape as front face 220 or can have a different shape. Back face 230 can have a different color, texture, or thickness than front face 220 or, alternatively, can be formed as an exact copy of front face 220, including shape, color, texture, and thickness, whereby charm 200 exhibits the same features on both front face 220 and back face 230.

[0037] According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 of the charm can be integrated into the body 201 of the charm 200. Thereby, the charm 200 is a block with a slot 210 formed substantially in the center, as shown in FIG. 4A. A front view of such a charm according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention is shown in FIG. 2A. Alternatively, the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 can be separate parts attached to the body 201 of the charm 200, including the slot 210, as shown in FIG. 4B. According to other embodiments, the body 201 of the charm 200 can be arranged away from the front surface 220 and the back surface 230, including the slot 210. For example, the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 can be configured to be connected to the body 201 of the charm 200 via a cord 215, whereby the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 hang down from the charm body 201, while the slot 210 can be slid onto the strap 100 as described above. An embodiment of such a charm 200 including the cord 215 is shown in FIG. 2E. The cord 215 can consist of, for example, a chain, a string, or a similar instrument and can be slid onto the strap 100 as described above.

[0038] According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the slot 210 can have a size and shape suitable for fitting onto the strap 100. When the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 are separate parts, as shown in FIG. 4B as an embodiment, the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 can be of a different size from the charm 201, that is, the front surface 220 and the back surface 230 can be substantially smaller or larger than the charm body 201.

[0039] Charm 200 can be held on strap 100 by friction. For example, slot 210 is sized to create an interference fit such that friction is generated to hold charm 200 on strap 100, e.g., slot 210 is slightly smaller than strap 100. As shown in FIG. 3, when the locking portion is engaged and strap 100 is fixed to the accessory, strap 100 can be held under tension such that the back surface 230 of charm 200 is also pressed against accessory 1000. This pressure generates friction between back surface 230 and accessory 1000, thereby enabling charm 200 to be held on strap 100. Since friction and pressure hold one or more charms 200 without requiring a more permanent attachment method, each charm 200 can be freely removed by pulling it from strap 100. Thus, charm 200 is interchangeable according to the user's preference.

[0040] The dimensional shape of strap 100 can be set according to accessory 1000. For example, in one embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, strap 100 can be attached to a hat. Such a strap 100 can be wider or longer than, for example, a strap 100 attached to a small wallet. Further, strap 100 can have any desired shape or cross-section, e.g., flat, circular, rectangular, etc. The slots 210 of one or more charms 200 can be formed in a shape that matches the shape of strap 100.

[0041] The strap 100 has a length suitable for accommodating a plurality of charms 200. In operation, one or more charms 200 can be fitted onto the strap 100 by inserting the strap 100 through the slots 210 of each charm 200. After being fitted onto the strap 100, each charm 200 can be slid to a desired position along the length of the strap 100. The strap 100 can then be fixed in a predetermined position by the locking portion 120. To remove the charm 200, the strap 100 can be removed from the accessory 1000 by releasing the locking portion 120. Thereafter, any number of charms 200 can be slid off and removed from the strap 100. According to an embodiment in which the locking portion 120 consists of stitching, adhesive, or other permanent attachment, one or more charms 200 can be slid onto the strap 100 before the locking portion 120 is applied, whereby the charms 200 on the strap 100 are firmly held in place on the strap 100.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, one or more charms 200 can be of a uniform size, that is, of a similar width, height, and depth. In such an embodiment, the charm 200 can be, for example, a number or a character that allows the user to spell out a desired word or phrase. According to other embodiments, the charm 200 can have other shape dimensions. In such an embodiment, the charm 200 can be, for example, a logo or a photograph of various sizes.

[0043] The strap 100 according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention enables customization of the accessory 1000 and allows the user to change at any time which charm 200 is attached to the accessory 1000. The strap 100 can be attached to the accessory 1000 via the attachment point 110. Further, the charm 200 can be quickly exchanged or changed according to the user's preference. The user can attach different charms 200 of different styles if the slot 210 of each charm is fitted to the strap 100.

[0044] Although some embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will be able to make changes to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, and it will be understood that the scope is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A strap system configured to be attached to an accessory, a strap having a first end and a second end located on the opposite side of the first end, an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to the accessory, a lock portion configured to attach the second end of the strap to the accessory, and one or more charms configured to be worn on the strap.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the attachment point is configured to detachably attach the first end of the strap to the accessory.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more charms includes a body having a slot configured to be fitted onto the strap, and a front face configured to face away from the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein each of the one or more charms includes a back face configured to face the accessory when the charm is fitted onto the strap.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more charms further includes a cord extending away from the body of the charm, and the front and back faces of each of the one or more charms are connected to the charm body via the cord.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the one or more charms has a front and a back that are independent parts attached to the body of the charm.

7. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the one or more charms is integrated within the body of the charm.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the lock portion includes a stud attached to the accessory, and the stud is configured to be inserted into the strap through a hole.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the lock portion attaches the second end of the strap to the accessory by friction between the stud and the hole.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the size and shape of the strap is determined based on the accessory.

11. A strap configured to attach one or more charms to an accessory, comprising a strap body configured to fit into respective slots of the one or more charms, an attachment point configured to attach a first end of the strap body to the accessory, and a locking portion configured to attach a second end of the strap body to the accessory, wherein the second end of the strap body is disposed at an end opposite to the first end of the strap body.

Images