US3473198A - Shoe tie retainer - Google Patents

Description

Get. 21, 1969 E. MEIER 3,473,198

SHOE TIE RETAINER Filed Sent. 18, 1967 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ERNEST MEIER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21, 1969 E. MEIER 3,473,198

snos TIE RETAINER Filed p 18, 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a v I ///IIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII A ERNEST MEIER INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,473,198 SHOE TIE RETAINER Ernest Meier, 5157 Finehill Ave., La Crescenta, Calif. 91214 Filed Sept. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 668,317 Int. Cl. A43c 7/04, 11/24 US. Cl. 24-119 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The following specification describes an enclosure adapted to be attached to a shoe in such a manner so that the tie of the shoe can be locked within the enclosure. The enclosure is formed of two halves which are hingeably attached to one another and is provided with a hidden latching means which requires the use of a thin object such as a coin to be unlocked.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION A first object of my invention is to provide a unitary foldably operated enclosure for retaining a shoe tie which has further advantages in that the child is prevented from opening the enclosure by a hidden latch means.

A second object of my invention is to provide an enclosure for attaching to a shoe which is provided with a means for mounting an aesthetic figure or picture.

A third object of my invention is to provide a unitary enclosure that is useful as a means for storing small objects such as safety pins and the like and large enough so that the child can play with it without danger of swallowing it or opening it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My invention described hereinafter relates to a container having several significant uses. Its first and primary use is for enclosing the tie of a young childs shoe in a manner so as to prevent his untying it.

A second use for the container is that it can be safely used around the nursery as a repository for small items such as safety pins.

It is also obvious that the same type of enclosure can be used by older children and teen agers as a fad in the same manner as the ankle bracelet and the like.

Other significant aspects of the following disclosure relate to its utility as a base for mounting aesthetically valuable figures enhancing its sales value as well as enlarging the container to a size and shape which a child cannot swallow. This safety factor is further enhanced by the fact that it is of one-piece construction.

A last and equally important feature set forth in the disclosure is a hidden lock means for holding the container in a closed position. The importance of the latching mechanism of the present invention is significant because the simple screw-on or sliding arrangements shown in the prior art are simpler for the curious child to figure out. In the case of the present invention the child must have access to a coin or other sharp or thin fiat instrument, which is just the type of things parents are most careful that a child of this age does not have available.

Another important matter made apart of my invention is that it folds open downwardly toward the toe making it a simple matter to tie it to the shoe as well as an easy chore to fold the bow and snap it inside the enclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above discussed objects and advantages and features of the present invention will be more fully understood and realized upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

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FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a childs shoe having the enclosure mounted thereon.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a childs shoe showing the enclosure in an unfolded position.

FIGURE 3 is an inside view of the enclosure.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the enclosure through 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the enclosure showing the slot and a coin for opening the device.

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of the shoe of an older child.

FIGURE 7 is an inside view of the enclosure shown in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view through 8-8 of FIG- URE 7 and having also a fragmented view of one of the latching members.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is directed to the figures. A substantially rectangular enclosure 1 is provided with a molded figure 2 formed on its top portion 4.

The top or movable portion 4 and the bottom or stationary portion 3 of the enclosure 1 are foldably connected by hinge members 11 to one another by those ends nearest the toe of the shoe in a manner so as to allow the top 4 to be folded downwardly and to rest on the toe portion of the shoe when the enclosure is open.

The top 4 and the bottom 3 are similar in construction on the inside. Each are provided with matching or corresponding side walls 5 and 8 and end walls 6 and 7 and 9 and 10. The end walls 6 and 9 are formed in a manner so as to leave matching recesses 13 and 14 in each of the members which cooperate, when closed, to form an open slot 15 adapted to receive a thin object 19, such as a coin, to unsnap and thus open the enclosure.

The latching members 12 are conventional bead and slot arrangements normally found on the ordinary plastic pill box with the variation that they are placed inside the enclosure so as to make them not obvious to the child.

The bottom member 3 is provided with a pair of through bores 16 which are spaced from One another and substantially centrally located between the side walls 8 as well as being located near the upper end of the bottom member 3 so as to receive the shoe tie ends from the shoe before making the tie 18.

The sectional view shown in FIGURE 4 illustrates a possible variation in the construction of the battom 3 in that it is curved in a manner so as to fit snugly over the instep and tends to prevent the enclosure from lateral movement.

The device described herein can be easily fabricated by existing methods such as injection molding and can be fabricated from a number of materials currently available.

There are many devices currently available using the molded objects such as is contemplated here. That is to say, such things as Disneys animated characters having, for example, Mickey Mouse one one shoe and Minnie Mouse on the other or Donald Duck and Pluto or other popular childrens figures.

While showing a certain preferred embodiment of the invention hereinbefore it has not been the intent to limit the scope of the invention to such specific except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe tie retainer for shoe laces said retainer comprising:

an enclosure consisting of a bottom member and a top member each having respective end walls and side walls, said top member and said bottom member 3 being hingedly attached together on cerresponding ones of respective side Walls thereof;

said bottom member having a pair of spaced apart bores therethrough to receive the ends of shoe laces so that when said bottom member is placed against the shoe with said laces through said bores, and said laces are tied, said bottom members are secured to said shoe;

said top member having a molded artistic object of interest to a child therein, diposed in the top surface thereof; both said top and bottom members having ball latch elements inwardly directed and disposed in said side walls opposite said hingedly attached walls such that when said top member is closed over said bottom member said tied shoe laces are enclosed and secured against tampering by a child by the latching of said ball latches; and

both said top and said bottom members having matching indentions such that when said members are closed a slot is formed between said ball latches, thereby necessitating that a coin or other thin flat object be inserted into said slot in order to separate said top from said bottom in order to gain access to said laces.

2. The shoe tie retainer defined in claim 1 wherein said enclosure is configured to resemble a heart, and said top member includes a receptacle and said bottom member includes a tongue, said receptacle and said tongue being interfitted when said top member is closed over said bottom member.

3. The shoe tie retainer defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom member is configured in the bottom thereof to fit over the instep of a shoe.

4. A shoe tie retainer comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular enclosure having a top,

a bottom and matching sets of side walls and end walls formed thereon;

(b) at least two hinge members formed on one set of said end walls so as to foldably attach said top to said bottom;

(c) an elongated recess formed in each of said second matching end walls, said recesses cooperating, when said enclosure is closed, to provide a slit-like recess open to the outside of said enclosure in a manner so as to receive a thin member therebetween to provide means for opening said enclosure;

(d) at least two latch members internally disposed within said enclosure adjacent said recess and adapted to maintain said bottom and said top in a closed position;

(e) a pair of openings formed in said bottom adjacent one another and so disposed so as to receive the ends of the shoe strings respectively in a manner so said enclosure can be attached to said shoe and;

(f) a substantially large surface provided by said top for receiving a figure thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,221,656 4/1917 Benson 24-119 2,841,849 7/1958 Rice et a1 24-120 2,940,633 6/1960 Thacker 22043 3,122,805 3/1964 Hakim 24-119 3,321,815 5/1967 Herdman 24-119 3,023,923 3/1962 Geib et al.

ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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