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 Apr. 29, 2023, 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. Many of these accessories are mass-produced, so 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 and keychains, and temporary patches attached with a surface fastener such as Velcro®.

[0004] These methods of customization have several drawbacks. Permanent customization is difficult to remove or change when the user's preferences change 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 back of a pin loosens and the pin, patch, or other feature comes off and is lost. <00​​​​​​​​​

[0006] An embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention provides 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 problem]

[0007] The above features and / or benefits 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 comprises a strap having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end, an attachment point configured to attach the first end of the strap to an accessory, a locking part configured to attach the second end of the strap to an accessory, and one or more charms configured to be fitted onto the strap.

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

[0009] In one implementation, each of the one or more charms has a slot configured for being attached to a strap, and a front that faces away from the accessory when the charm is attached to the strap.

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

[0011] In one implementation, at least one of the one or more charms may further include a cord that extends away from the body of the charm. The front and back of one or more charms may be connected to the body of the charm via the cord.

[0012] In one implementation, at least one of the one or more charms may have a front and back surface that comprises a number of detachable parts attached to the body of the charm.

[0013] In one implementation, at least one of the one or more charms may have its front surface integrated into the body of the charm.

[0014] In one implementation, the locking mechanism may include a stud mounted on an accessory, which is configured to be inserted into the strap through a hole.

[0015] In one implementation, the locking mechanism allows the second end of the strap to be attached to the accessory by friction between the stud and the hole.

[0016] In one implementation, at least one of the strap's size and shape can be determined based on the accessory.

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

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

[0019] Additional features and benefits of the general inventive concept of the present invention are partially described in the following description, partially evident from the description, or can be known through the practice of the general inventive concept.

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

[0021] [Figure 1] A diagram of a strap charm attached to an accessory, according to an exemplary embodiment of the general concept of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure of a strap and charm according to a general conceptual embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2B] A diagram of a strap without a charm, according to a general conceptual embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2C] A diagram of a strap according to another embodiment of the general concept of the present invention. [Figure 2D] A diagram of a strap according to another embodiment of the general concept of the present invention. [Figure 2E] Figure of a strap having a charm according to another embodiment of the general concept of the present invention [Figure 3]Top view of a strap and a charm attached to a wall portion of an accessory, according to an embodiment of the general concept of the present invention [Figure 4A] Side view of a charm according to an embodiment of the general concept of the present invention [Figure 4B] Side view of a charm according to another embodiment of the general concept of the present invention

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 thereof are shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same elements throughout. Hereinafter, the general inventive concept of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for the embodiments. In describing 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 are 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 described 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 part "includes" or "constitutes" a certain element, unless there is a special description to the contrary, the part can further include other elements and does not exclude other elements.

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

[0027] Figure 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 Figure 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 drawing is provided as an example only. Accessories 1000 of other sizes and shapes can be used without deviating from the general inventive concept of the present invention.

[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 similar color and appearance to the shoulder strap, and as a result, the strap 100 will look consistent with the accessory 1000.

[0029] Figures 2A and 2B show a strap 100 with a charm 200 and one without, respectively. According to a general embodiment of the inventive concept of the present invention, the strap 100 can be made of a flexible material, such as silicone, leather, vegan leather, or rubber. The material of the strap 100 can have a high coefficient of friction, thereby preventing objects placed on it from easily slipping off. The strap 100 can be attached to the accessory 1000 at an attachment point 110 located on the accessory 1000 at the first end of the strap 100. This attachment point 110 can consist of, for example, stitching, adhesive, or other similar methods for attaching the strap 100 to the accessory 1000. The attachment point 110 is represented by a wavy line to indicate stitching as a possible attachment method. Similarly, a dashed line around the strap 100 represents stitching around the strap 100. Such surrounding stitching can be aesthetic and / or structural, for example, by reinforcing the edges of the strap 100 and holding together multiple layers of material to form the strap 100.

[0030] The attachment point 110 can secure the first end of the strap 100 to the accessory 1000 so that it can be bent away from the accessory 1000 in order to fit one or more charms 200 onto the strap 100. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the attachment point 110 can be permanent, such as stitching or other permanent attachment, so that the strap 100 is not detached from the accessory 1000 or accidentally removed. According to another embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the attachment point 110 can be removable, such as a rivet, stud, snap, button or other structure, so that the strap 100 can be completely removed from the accessory 1000 if necessary. Such an embodiment is shown in Figure 2c.

[0031] Figure 3 shows a top view of a strap 100 and charm 200 attached to the wall of an accessory 1000, according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention. As shown herein, the strap 100 can be detachably attached to the accessory 1000 at a locking portion 120 located at a second end of the strap 100, opposite to the first end. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking portion 120 can consist of an anchor point 121 and a hole 122 (shown in Figure 2B). The anchor point 121 can include, for example, a tab, pin, stud, rivet, or similar features 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 through it. The anchor point 121 can be pushed through the hole 122 by the user, but can be sized such that it cannot pass through the hole 122 without external force. During 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 release the engagement with the locking part 120, and then pull the strap 100 away from the accessory 1000.

[0032] In an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking portion 120 can secure the strap 100 in place by friction alone, and the anchor point 121, for example, may consist of a flared head of a stud. This prevents it from passing through the hole 122 without external force from the user. Such an embodiment is shown in Figure 3. In another embodiment, the anchor point 121 may include additional security means. This may be, for example, a pin 123 inserted by adding a stud to prevent the strap 100 from unintentionally slipping off the anchor point 121. Such a pin 123 is shown by a dashed line in Figure 3 to indicate that it is detachable from the anchor point 121, and is not necessarily included in all embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention. In an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the hole 122 may be formed coplanar with the main body of the strap 100. This prevents the hole 122 from interfering with the charm when the charm 200 is fitted onto the strap 100, as will be described later.

[0033] It will be understood that different embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention may use different mechanisms as the locking part 120. For example, the locking part 120 may consist of a button, a snap, or a similar structure used to fasten the accessory 1000 to the second end of the strap 100. According to another embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking part may consist of, for example, 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 separating the stitching or by removing the adhesive. Such an embodiment of the inventive concept of the present invention is shown in Figure 2D. According to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the locking part 120 is capable of firmly holding the strap 100 in place. The hold is strong enough to hold multiple charms 200 and / or other objects, such as the user's sunglasses, in which case the weight of the charms 200 and / or other objects does not release the lock 120.

[0034] Each charm 200 consists of any physical item that can be fitted onto the strap 100. Figures 4A and 4B show 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 may include a body 210 including a slot 210. Each charm 200 may further include a front 220, which 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 may also include a back 230, which 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 may be made from a rigid material such as metal or plastic. Each charm 200 may be sized to be suitable for fitting onto the strap 100.

[0035] The slot 210 can be a cavity formed in the body of the charm 200. This cavity has a size and shape suitable for receiving the strap 100. In operation, the strap 100 can be inserted through the slot 210, thereby fitting the charm 200 onto the strap 100. The front 220 can be part of the charm 200 intended to be displayed and can be formed as any desired feature, including numbers, letters, logos, images, etc. In accordance with the general inventive concept of the present invention, the front 220 can include one or more colors to give the charm 200 the intended appearance.

[0036] In accordance with the general inventive concept of the present invention, the back surface 230 of the charm 200 may have the same shape as the front surface 220, or it may have a different shape. The back surface 230 may have a different color, texture, or thickness from the front surface 220, or alternatively, it may be formed as a complete copy of the front surface 220, including its shape, color, texture, and thickness, thereby the charm 200 exhibits the same features on both the front surface 220 and the back surface 230.

[0037] In accordance with an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the front 220 and back 230 of the charm can be integrated into the body 201 of the charm 200. Thus, the charm 200 is a block with a slot 210 formed near the center, as shown in Figure 4A. A front view of such a charm, according to an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, is shown in Figure 2A. Alternatively, the front 220 and back 230, including the slot 210, can be separate parts attached to the body 201 of the charm 200, as shown in Figure 4B. In other embodiments, the body 201 of the charm 200, including the slot 210, can be located away from the front 220 and back 230. For example, the front 220 and back 230 may be configured to be connected to the body 201 of the charm 200 via a cord 215, so that the front 220 and back 230 hang from the charm body 201, while the slot 210 can be slid over the strap 100 as described above. An embodiment of such a charm 200 including the cord 215 is shown in Figure 2E. The cord 215 may consist of, for example, a chain, string, or similar device, and can be slid over the strap 100 as described above.

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

[0039] The charm 200 can be held on the strap 100 by friction. For example, the slot 210 is sized to create an interference fit, such that friction is generated to hold the charm 200 on the strap 100, and for example, the slot 210 is slightly smaller than the strap 100. As shown in Figure 3, when the locking mechanism is engaged and the strap 100 is secured to the accessory, the strap 100 can be held under tension such that the back surface 230 of the charm 200 is also pressed against the accessory 1000. This pressure generates friction between the back surface 230 and the accessory 1000, thereby holding the charm 200 on the 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 off the strap 100. Thus, the charms 200 are replaceable according to the user's preference.

[0040] The dimensions and shape of the strap 100 can be set according to the accessory 1000. For example, in one embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the 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. Furthermore, the strap 100 can have any desired shape or cross-section, such as flat, circular, rectangular, etc. The slots 210 of one or more charms 200 can be formed in a shape that matches the shape of the strap 100.

[0041] The strap 100 has a length suitable for accommodating multiple 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 secured in place by the locking mechanism 120. To remove the charms 200, the strap 100 can be detached from the accessory 1000 by releasing the locking mechanism 120. After that, any number of charms 200 can be slid off the strap 100. The locking mechanism 120 is configured such that one or more charms 200 can be slid onto the strap 100 before the locking mechanism 120 is applied, thereby securely holding the charms 200 in place on the strap 100.

[0042] In an embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, one or more charms 200 can be of uniform size, i.e., similar width, height, and depth. In such an embodiment, the charms 200 can be, for example, numbers or letters that allow the user to spell out a desired word or phrase. In other embodiments, the charms 200 can have different shapes and dimensions. In such an embodiment, the charms 200 can be, for example, logos or photographs of various sizes.

[0043] A strap 100, which embodies the general concept of the present invention, allows for the customization of the accessory 1000, enabling the user to change which charm 200 is attached to the accessory 1000. The strap 100 can be attached to the accessory 1000 via attachment points 110. Furthermore, the charms 200 can be quickly replaced or changed according to the user's preference. The user can attach different charms 200 of different styles, provided that the slots 210 of each charm fit into the strap 100.

[0044] While several embodiments of the general inventive concept of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A strap system configured to allow the attachment of accessories, A strap having a first end and a second end located opposite the first end, and permanently attached to an accessory at an attachment point located at the first end, It comprises a locking mechanism configured to attach the second end of the strap to an accessory, and one or more charms configured to be attached to the strap, A system in which one or more charms are held in place on the strap by friction between each charm and the accessory.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that each of one or more charms comprises a body including a slot configured for being attached to a strap, and a front surface configured to face away from the accessory when the charm is attached to the strap.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that each of the one or more charms has a back that is configured to face the accessory when the charm is attached to the strap.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the one or more charms further comprises a cord extending away from the body of the charm, and the front and back of each of the one or more charms are connected to the body of the charm via the cord.

5. The system according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one of the one or more charms has a front and back portion which is attached to the body of the charm.

6. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one of the one or more charms is integrated into the body of the charm.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking portion includes a stud that can be attached to an accessory, and the stud is configured to be inserted into the strap through a hole.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that the locking part attaches the second end of the strap to the accessory by friction between the stud and the hole.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the size and shape of the strap is determined based on the accessory.

10. A method for attaching one or more charms to an accessory, A step of supplying a strap permanently attached to an accessory at an attachment point located at the first end of the strap, Steps to bend the strap away from the accessory, The step of sliding the strap into the slot located on each of the one or more charms, The process includes the step of securing the second end of the strap to the accessory with a locking mechanism located at the second end of the strap, The second end of the strap is positioned opposite the first end of the strap. A method characterized in that one or more charms are held in place on the strap by friction between each charm and the accessory.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that one or more charms are configured to be held on the strap via a fastening fitting between the strap and the charms.

Images