CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The wearer of boots may want to change the appearance of the boots to match a particular piece of clothing, symbolize his/her affinity to a certain group (e.g. the Seattle

Seahawks), or turn a plain boots into something more sophisticated. There exists a need for a decorative boot assembly which securely and comfortably clips onto boots allowing the wearer to change the look of the boots. This invention relates to a decorative, attachable boot assembly

("boot assembly") which comprises a unique mechanism that allows the user to secure it to the edge or rim of his/her boots. The unique mechanism also allows for comfortable use of the boot assembly.

The boot assembly can optionally consist of an embellishment that is affixed to a portion of the boot assembly. Although the inventor has disclosed the apparatus as a decorative boot assembly, a person having ordinary skill in the art will know that the boot assembly can be used on any type of shoe, clothing, or accouterment.

The boot assembly is made from a single piece of spring steel which comprises a bent portion having a first free end and a second free end. It will be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the boot assembly can be made of any material having properties similar to that of spring steel. The second free end comprises a mounting portion. Preferably, the mounting portion is shaped as an oval. However, it will be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art that the mounting portion can be any shape.

The mounting portion has a camber. The camber serves two purposes. The first is to secure the boot assembly to the rim or edge of a boot. The second is to provide greater comfort to the user.

The boot assembly has two positions: a first or open position, and a second or closed position. In the first or open position, the camber is arched away from the first free end. In this configuration, the distance between the first free end and the second free end is sufficient to allow the first free end to slip into the edge or rim of a boot so that the bent portion sits on the edge or rim of a boot, and the second free end shows on the outside of the boot.

In the second or closed position, the camber is arched towards the first free end. In this configuration, the distance between first free end and the second free end is smaller than the distance in the open position. Ideally, the distance is sufficient to tightly accommodate the material of the boot. In a preferred embodiment, opposite sides of the mounting portion further comprises handles allowing the user to easily move the boot assembly from the open to the closed position.

The second free end can be decorated with any type of embellishment including logos, various fabrics, patches, leather, plastic, stones, for example. Preferably, the

embellishments have the same shape as the mounting end and comprise a pocket so that embellishments can slip over the mounting end. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the boot assembly;

Fig. 2a is a side view of the boot assembly showing the camber arced away from the first free end;

Fig. 2b is a side view of the boot assembly showing the camber arched toward the first free end; Fig. 3a is a perspective view showing how the boot assembly is positioned on a boot;

Fig. 3b is a perspective view showing how the boot assembly is positioned on a boot;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the boot assembly;

Fig. 5 is a top, perspective view of the boot assembly;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the boot assembly;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion comprises projections;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion comprises projections; Fig. 9 is a top, perspective view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion comprises projections;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion comprises projections; Fig. 1 1 is a back view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion comprised projections; Fig. 12 is a front view of the boot assembly where the mounting portion is divided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the description of the invention above, and in the detailed description of the invention, and the claims below, and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification includes all possible combination of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, or a particular claim, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally.

Referring to Fig. 1 , a perspective view of the boot assembly ( 100) is shown. In a preferred embodiment, the boot assembly (100) is made from a single piece of spring steel which comprises a bent portion (1 10) having a first free end (120) and a second free end (130). The second free end comprises a mounting portion ( 140). Preferably, the mounting portion (140) is shaped as an oval. Referring to Fig. 2a, the mounting portion (140) has a camber (150).

The boot assembly (100) may be stamped as one complete piece or, in the alternative, referring to Fig. 12, the boot assembly maybe stamped so that the mounting portion ( 140) is divided (141a, 141 b). The two divided portions (141 a, 141 b) are connected to create a camber (150). Preferably, the two divided portions (141 a, 141 b) are attached using a rivet. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art will know that the divided portions can be connected by any means that will securely hold the two divided portions ( 141 a, 141 b) securely in place.

Referring to Figs. 2a and 2b, in a first or open position, the camber (150) is arched away from the first free end (120). Referring to Fig. 3, in this configuration, the distance between the first free end (120) and the second free end (1 30) is sufficient to allow the first free end (120) to slip into the edge or rim of a boot so that the bent portion (1 10) sits on the edge or rim of a boot, and the second free end (120) shows on the outside of the boot. In a second or closed position, the camber is arched towards the first free end ( 120). In this configuration, the distance between first free end (120) and the second free end ( 130) is smaller than the distance in the open position. Ideally, the distance is sufficient to tightly accommodate the material of the boot.

In a preferred embodiment, the mounting portion (140) has, at least, a near end (140a) and a far end (140b) where the near end (140a) and the far end (140b) are on opposite sides mounting portion (140). The near end (140a) comprises a projection (1 60a) and the far end (140b) comprises a projection (160b). The projections ( 160a, 160b) allow a user to easily move the boot assembly (100) from the open to the closed position.

The second free end can be decorated with any type of embellishment including logos, various fabrics, patches, leather, plastic, stones, for example. Preferably, the

embellishments have the same shape as the mounting end and comprise a pocket allowing the embellishments can slip over the mounting end (140).