MUNRO, Elke (315/180 Marine Parade, Maroubra, NSW 2035, AU)
KOWALECZKO, Emma (38 Edger Street, Maroubra, NSW 2035, AU)
MUNRO, Elke (315/180 Marine Parade, Maroubra, NSW 2035, AU)
The claims defining this invention are as follows: 1. A hole punching tool, for punching a hole in a sandal strap, including:
• a first arm, having a connecting end, a distant end and a recess formed by a recessed surface for receiving a section of the sandal strap;
• a second arm having a connecting end and a distant end and being hingedly connected to the first arm at said connecting ends; • cutting means, including a projecting cutting tab fixedly attached to the second arm; wherein the first and second arms are moveable between a too! open position and a tool closed position and the cutting means is adapted to punch a hole in said section of the sandal strap when the first and second arms are moved from the tool open position to the tool closed position.
2. A hole punching tool according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting means further includes a tab receiving element, adapted to receive an end portion of the cutting tab, located in a trough section of the recessed surface.
3. A hole punching tool according to claim 2, wherein the tab receiving element includes a cavity of complementary shape to the end portion of the cutting tab. 4. A hole punching tool according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the cutting tab and the tab receiving element are located substantially nearer to the hinged connection than to the distant ends of the first and second arms.
5. A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the tab receiving element is positioned substantially centrally in the trough section of the recessed surface
6- A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the recessed surface is of a shape which substantially corresponds with the shape of a section of the sandal strap intended to be received in the recessed surface.
7. A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the hole cutting tool further includes a decorative pin, adapted to be connected to the sandal strap, detachably connected to the first arm or the second arm.
8. A hole punching tool according to claim 7, wherein the decorative pin includes: • a display portion;
• an anchor portion; and a stem connecting the display portion to the anchor portion. A hole punching tool according to claim 8, wherein said display portion is adapted to sit upon the sandal strap, the stem is adapted to extend through a hole formed in the sandal strap, and the anchor portion is adapted to underlie the hole so as to inhibit removal of the anchor portion through said hole. A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the decorative pin is frangibly connected to the first arm or the second arm. A hole punching too! according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the display portion is frangibly connected to the first arm and the anchor portion is frangibly connected to the second arm. . A hole punching tool according to claim 11 , wherein the first arm includes a first opening which accommodates the frangibly connected display portion and the second arm includes a second opening which accommodates the frangibly connected anchor portion. A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the stem is integrally formed with the anchor portion. A hole punching tool according to any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the decorative pin includes connecting means adapted to enable the stem to be removably connected to the display portion. A hole punching tool according any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the tool is of a size adapted to fit within the palm of a user. A hole punching tool according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the tool is formed of a hard plastic material. A hole punching tool according to claim 16, wherein the cutting tab is formed of metal. A method of using the hole punching tool of any one of claims 1 to 17 to form a hole in a sandal strap, said method including:
• positioning a section of a sandal strap into the recessed surface of the first arm, whilst distant ends of the first and second arms are separated;
• forcing the distant ends of said first and second arms towards each other until the cutting means punches a hole through said section of the sandal strap; and • separating the distant ends of the first and second arms to enable the section of sandal strap to be removed from the tool.
19. A hole punching too!, for punching a hole in a sandal strap, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one or more of the drawings. |
Hole Punching Tool for Sandal Strap
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool for punching a hole in the strap of a sandal (or similar item of footwear). The present invention has particular application to sandals of the type often referred to as 'thongs'. Background of the invention
Sandals and other similar items of casual footwear have been in use for thousands of years and still remain very popular, particularly in geographical regions having relatively warm climates.
There are many different types of sandals and, in relatively recent times, a particular sandal which has become very popular is the type commonly known as a thong'. A thong typically has a substantially flat sole and a pair of straps which extend from a common point, between the big toe and the adjoining toe of a wearer, and two side securing points. One of the side securing points is located adjacent an inside section of a user's foot and the other side securing point is located adjacent an outside section of the user's foot.
Thongs and other types of sandals can be formed of many different types of materials, including rubber, leather, textiles and a combination of these. Owing to their relatively low cost, comfort and ease of taking on and off. these items of footwear are very popular, particularly as casual footwear.
Such footwear items are. however, typically largely functional and have very little capacity for stylistic variation. Consequently, thongs and other similar types of sandals are generally regarded as somewhat bland or unexciting.
In order to address this perceived deficiency, some manufacturers have created thongs (and other similar items of footwear) having colourful soles. These colourful soles typically bear the logos and trade marks of the manufacturers or other similar promotional artwork. Obviously, the consumer has no input in relation to these embellishments and may not be pleased to be (in effect) a walking advertisement for the manufacturer. In any event, when the thong (or other similar item of footwear) is worn, all the decoration on the sole is covered up and no longer visible.
There is presently no known way of enabling a consumer to conveniently adorn or embellish a thong (or similar type of sandal) so as to make it more appealing, fashionable and versatile.
The present invention is directed towards providing a means for enabling a user to more conveniently adorn or embellish such items of footwear. In particular, the invention is directed to providing a convenient means for enabling a user to punch a hole in a sandal strap (e.g. the strap of a thong) so as to enable a decorative pin to be affixed to the sandal strap.
Many items of everyday use, such as writing paper, note pads and belts require holes to be formed in them, often after the items have been purchased. In order to accommodate this need, many hole punching tools have been developed in order to easily enable a user to punch holes in the items as desired.
A common form of a hole punching tool, for punching holes in belts, leather items and other similar products, is disclosed in US 311 ,121. This patent relates to a 'belt punch' having two arms pivotally connected in the manner of a pair of scissors. The cutting elements are located on one side of the pivot connection and the lever arms (which are forced together by a user) are located on the other side of the pivot connection. This tool Is quite awkward to use and the amount of force able to be applied to the cutting elements is compromised by virtue of the substantial distance between the cutting elements and the pivot connection.
In relation to writing paper, note pads and the like, a substantial number of hole punching tools have been developed. These tools typically have a base, a spring-levered arm (or body), and one or more cutting implements (such as sharp cylindrical rods or pistons) able to be pushed through the paper.
A common modern paper hole punching tool comprises: a base having an alignment edge; a pair of levered arms hingedly connected to a support positioned above the base; a pair of cylindrical cutting rods able to be lowered towards the base; and a space between the base and the cutting rods adapted to accommodate sheets of 'paper in which the holes are to be punched. In operation, the tool is placed on a flat surface (such as a bench or desk) and the sheets of paper are inserted into the space with their side edges abutting the alignment edge. The tool may also include an indicator (such as an arrow) to help position the tool at or near the centre of the sheets of paper. The levered arms are pushed down, causing the cutting rods to lower and cut through the sheets of paper. Such a paper hole punching tool is disclosed in US patent no. 4,713,995.
Other paper hole punching tools have also been developed. Some of these are mentioned below.
US patent no. 1,177,594 discloses a hole punching tool having a clamp-type head having a pair of levered arms extending from the head. The head also includes a slit into which sheets of paper (or other item to be cut) can be inserted, and a cutting piston able to extend into the slit upon pressing together the levered arms. The arrangement disclosed in this patent is relatively complex, with many
component parts, and it would be relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.
US patent no. 1738572 discloses a paper hote punch apparatus having a base, a body extending upwardly from the base, a levered arm hingedly connected to an upper portion of the body, and a set of cutting pistons able to be lowered by pushing down on the levered arm. Again, this arrangement has numerous component parts, is quite bulky, and would be relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture.
US design patent no. 169,080 also discloses a paper hole punch device. This device is a simpler construction than those disclosed in the above US patents. It comprises a base plate, an adjoining depressibie piate having a cutting element formed thereon, a levered arm adapted to press down on and depress the depressable plate, and an arm support to which the levered arm is rotatably connected. Pressing down on the levered arm causes the deprassable plate to iower enabling the cutting element to cut a hole in sheets of paper positioned between the base plate and the depressable plate. This device incorporates numerous different parts which need to be fitted together. The manufacture and assembly of these parts would render the device somewhat difficult and expensive to produce.
US design patent no. 379,475 discloses a hole punch apparatus comprising a first arm and a levered arm rotatably connected at a pivot connection and able to be forced together by the hand of a user. This hole punch apparatus functions in a somewhat similar way to a pair of scissors with the hole cutting element located on one of the arms on the other side of the pivot connection to where the user's hand would be located. US patent no. 3,951 ,325 discloses a stapler with a punch mechanism. This punch mechanism is intended for use with paper and similar items. The punch element is located on a m ' oveabie arm of the stapler at a point nearly mid-way between the distant end of the moveable arm and the hinged connection where this arm is joined to the other arm of the stapler. The paper to be punched is inserted into a narrow horizontal slot (31) of fixed width and length which is designed to position the paper so that the hole is punched at a desirable distance from the edge of the paper. The location of the punch element some distance away from the hinged connection would significantly inhibit the amount of force able to be applied to the punch element and would therefore limit its use to only a small number of sheets of paper. The narrow dimensions of the slot (31) confirm that the punch mechanism is only intended for use with a very small number of sheets of paper. It is apparent that, when using the stapler as a paper hole punch, it should be positioned on a flat surface (such as a bench or desk). The paper is then inserted sideways into the sfit and the punch element can then be depressed to punch the hole in the paper. The stapler of US patent no. 3,951,325 is a relatively standard stapler but, as such, it comprises numerous
parts. The manufacture and assembly of these parts are processes which require significant investment in plant, infrastructure and investment and they therefore render the article somewhat time consuming and costly to produce. US patent no. 6,286,745 discloses a complex multipurpose implement adapted to function as a knife, staple remover, stapler, hole puncher, pair of scissors and other implements. The implement includes a floating piston element (60) which acts as a punching tab. This piston element is held in a support frame located between the two hingedly connected arms of the implement. The floating piston element appears to be connected to a spring to enable it to return to a rest position after being used to punch a hole in a sheet of paper. The implement disclosed in US 6,286,745 is a complex, multipurpose device which would require very significant investment in order to produce it in commercial quantities. Accordingly, this implement is likely to be very difficult, time consuming and expensive to manufacture.
All of the above disclosed hole punching tools have been developed specifically for the purposes of punching holes in either paper, belts or similar items. None of the aforementioned hole punching devices are conveniently adapted for punching holes in a strap of a sandal (such as a thong).
The present invention is directed towards ameliorating some of the problems identified above and/or for providing a convenient alternative hole punching tool, particularly adapted for use with sandal straps. The present invention is directed particularly towards a hole punching tool which is adapted to punch a hole in a strap of a sandal (such as a thong). A sandal strap having one or more holes punched therein enables a user to attach one or more decorative items to the strap. Summary of the invention
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hole punching tool, for punching a hole in a sandal strap, said tool including:
• a first arm having a connecting end, a distant end and a recess formed by a recessed surface for receiving a section of the sandal strap;
• . a second arm having a connecting end and a distant end and being hingedly connected to the first arm at said connecting ends; and
• cutting means, including a projecting cutting tab fixedly attached to the second arm; wherein the first and second arms are moveable between a tool open position and a tpoi closed position and the cutting means is adapted to punch a hole in said section of the sandal strap when the firsf and second arms are moved from the tool open position to the tool closed position . As will be appreciated from the above, the projecting cutting tab is located on the second arm in a position where it is adapted to extend into the recess of the first
arm when the tool is in the tool closed position. This cutting tab may comprise a metallic cutting piece (such as a small metallic cutting cylinder) fixedly attached to the second arm. Preferably, the cutting means further includes a tab receiving element, adapted to receive an end portion of the cutting tab, located in a trough section of the recessed surface of the first arm. The tab receiving element may comprise a cavity of complementary shape to the end portion of the cutting tab. In this embodiment, when the two arms are forced together, the end portion of the cutting tab may enter the cavity, thereby completing the punching of the hole through the section of the sandal strap.
It is particularly preferred that the cutting means (e.g. the cutting tab and the tab receiving element) is located substantially nearer to the hinged connection than to the distant ends of the first and second arms. This enhances the mechanical purchase and, therefore, the force applied to the cutting means when the distant ends of the two arms are forced together.
It is further preferred that the cutting means is positioned so that, when in operation, a hole is formed substantially in the middle of the section of sandal strap. Accordingly, the tab receiving element (e.g. the cavity) Is preferably positioned substantially centrally in the trough section of the recessed surface of the first arm. . It is further preferred that the recessed surface of the first arm is of a shape which substantially corresponds with the shape of a section of the sandal strap intended to be received in therein. This facilitates the strap being held in position in the tool (and inhibits lateral movement of the strap) whilst the hole is being punched through the strap. A benefit of this feature is that, by correctly positioning the section of sandal strap in the recessed surface, the hole is more likely to be formed in a desired central position in the section of sandal strap.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the hole punching tool further includes a decorative pin, adapted to be connected to the sandal strap, detachably connected to the first arm or the second arm.
Preferably, the decorative pin includes:
• a display portion;
• an anchor portion, and • a stem adapted to connect the display portion to the anchor portion.
The display portion is typically adapted to sit upon a top surface of the sandal strap. The anchor portion is adapted to underlie a lower surface of the sandal strap. The stem is adapted to extend, between the display portion and the anchor portion through a hole formed in the sandal strap. As will be appreciated,
the size of the anchor portion should be such that it inhibits removal of the anchor portion through said hole.
As the anchor portion is typically located between the sandal strap and a foot of a wearer, it preferably has a relatively thin profile so as to mimimise any possible discomfort to the wearer. For a similar reason, if the lower surface of the sandal strap is curved, the anchor portion may comprise a substantially corresponding curve. in a preferred embodiment, the decorative pin is frangibly connected to the first arm or the second arm. Alternatively, different parts of the decorative pin may be frangibly connected to the first and/or second arms. In a typical example, the display portion may be frangibly connected to the first arm and the anchor portion may be frangibly connected to the second arm. Such frangible connections enable the display portion and the anchor portion to be easily snapped off the tool when required. In this embodiment, the first arm preferably includes a first opening (or cut-out section) which accommodates the frangibly connected display portion and the second arm preferaby includes a second opening (or cutout section) which accommodates the frangibly connected anchor portion. By locating the display portion and the anchor portion in such openings, it is easy for a user to access these portions and remove them from the tool.
The stem is generally integrally formed with either the display portion or, preferably, the anchor portion. It is further preferred that the decorative pin includes connecting means adapted to enable the anchor portion to be removably connected to the display portion. This may be achieved by means of a male-female interlocking system, such as a cylindrical recess in an underside of the display portion adapted to receive an end of the stem, for instance in a friction-fit or snap-fit arrangement.
The display portion may include a decorative feature formed thereon. Alternatively, the display portion may be adapted, to have a decorative feature i attached to it, for instance after the decorative pin has been removed from the hole punching tool. By way of example, the display portion may be adapted to be secured to a decorative feature by inserting the display portion into a complementary-shaped opening in an underside of the decorative feature.
The hole punching tool may further include arm holding means adapted to hold the two arms together when the tool is not being used. The arm holding means may simply be a projection on one arm and a complementary receiving element on the other arm, adapted to receive the projection and inhibit removal of said projection, for instance by means of a friction-fit or snap-fit arrangement. Alternatively, the arm holding means may comprise a flap which projects from the distant end of one arm and overlies a portion of the distant end of the other arm, in such a way as to inhibit separation of the aπns, once the arms are brought together into the tool closed position.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hole punching tool is of a size adapted to fit within the palm of a user. This enables the user to effect the hole punching operation by use of one hand - simply by clenching the two arms together in his or her palm.
The above described hole punching tool may be formed of any suitable material. Hard plastic materials, such as hard polyurethane, are particularly suitable owing to their relatively high strength weight ratios and low cost. The cutting element, however, preferably comprises a metallic cutting piece (such as a small metallic cutting cylinder).
The hole punching tool may be formed by injection molding, or cast molding techniques and the abovementioned hard plastic materials are generally convenient for use in such techniques. The two arms of the hole punching tool are typically formed separately and then joined together at the hinged connection.
When the hole punching tool is formed by injection molding, the metallic cutting piece can positioned within the mold prior to injection of the plastic materia!. Alternatively, once the arms of the tool have been formed, the metallic cutting piece can be fixedly attached to the relevant arm of the tool in any appropriate manner (e.g. by using a glue or hardehable resin). According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of using the hole punching tool described above to form a hole in a sandal strap, said method including:
• positioning a section of the sandal strap in the recessed surface of the first arm, whilst distant ends of the first and second arms are separated;
• forcing the distant ends of said first and second arms towards each other until the cutting means punches a hole through said section of the sandal strap; and
• separating the distant ends of the first and second arms to enable the section of sandal strap to be removed from the tool.
Brief description of drawings
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by reference to the following drawings.
Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a hole punching tool, in closed orientation, according. to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a forward top perspective view of the hole punching tool shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a rear bottom perspective view of the hole punching tool shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a forward top perspective view of the hole punching tool, in open orientation, according to a'preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a side view of the hole punching tool shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the hole punching tool shown in Figure 5.
Description of Preferred Embodiment The invention described above will now be illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 6.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 show a preferred embodiment of a hole punching too! 1 in closed orientation, having a front end 4 and a rear end 5. As can be seen, the tool 1 comprises a first arm 2 and a second arm 3 of substantially equal length.
As shown in Figure 3, ends of the arms 2 and 3 are hingedly connected at a hinged connection 6 at the rear end 5 of the tool. Each arm also has a distant end, 20 and 30 (respectively), which are able to be separated from each other.
As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the distant end 30 of the second arm 3 has a protruding flap 31 which, when the tool 1 is in closed orientation, overlies a portion of the distant end 20 of the first arm 2. By means of friction, or a snap-fit connection, this flap 31 holds two arms together when the tool is not in use. However, .the distant ends 20 and 30 of the arms 2 and 3 are readily able to be separated by the application of a small amount of force.
The first arm 2 includes a recessed surface 22 adjacent to the hinged connection 6. The second arm 3 also includes a similar recessed surface 32 which is similarly located adjacent to the hinged connection 6. When the tool 1 is in closed orientation, the adjoining recessed surfaces 22 and 32 form a gap 7 which is adapted to accommodate a section of a sandal strap located therein.
Figure 4 shows the tool 1 in open orientation. As can be seen, second arm 3 includes a cylindrical cutting tab 33 protruding from an underside of the second 3.
In a corresponding position on first arm 2 is a tab receiving element 23. This tab receiving element 23 includes a circular cavity 24. The circular cavity 24 has a diameter substantially equivalent to the diameter of the cylindrical cutting tab 33, so that when the two arms 2 and 3 are brought together, the cylindrical cutting tab 33 fits neatly within the circular cavity 24. In order to facilitate the cutting of a hole in the sandal strap, an end 35 of the cylindrical cutting tab 33 is sharp. The
cylindrical cutting tab 33 is preferably a hollow cylinder in order to provide a sharper cutting mechanism.
As is apparent from Figure 4, a section of a sandal strap (not shown) is placed in the recessed surface 22, thereby holding the section of sandal strap in a desired position in the tool 1. Whilst in this positron, arms 2 and 3 are forced together, thereby causing the cutting tab 33 to punch a hole through the strap until the end 35 of the cutting tab 33 extends into the circular cavity 24. First arm 2 includes an opening 25 near its distant end 20 and the second arm 3 includes an opening 35 near its distant end 30. An anchor portion 26 of a decorative pin is located in the opening 25. This anchor portion 26 is fraπgibly connected to a side wall of the opening 25. A display portion 36 of the decorative pin is located in the opening 35. This display portion 36 is frangibly connected to a side wail of the opening 35.
The anchor portion 26 and the display portion 36 may be easily removed from the tool 1 by simply breaking the frangible connections. As is more readily seen in Figure 3, the anchor portion 26 includes a head section 27 and a stem 28 extending from the head section 27.
As will be appreciated, the display portion 36 is adapted to be located on an upper visible surface of the sandal strap. The anchor portion 26 is adapted to be located on an underside of the sandal. The display portion 36 and the anchor portion are connected by passing the stem 28 through the hole formed in the sandal strap and then joining the two portions together. in the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the display portion 36 does not include any decorative feature. The display portion 36 has a generally circular shape which is adapted to snugly fit inside a corresponding-shaped opening In an underside of a decorative feature. This snug fit secures the display portion 36 to the decorative feature.
The hole punching tool of the present invention enables any number of holes to be formed in the strap of a sandal. These holes may be formed in any position of the sandal strap as the user desires. This provides the user with great capacity for decorating and embellishing an otherwise bland sandal strap.
There is a virtually unlimited range of decorations which can be formed on the display portions of the decorative pins which are adapted to be located about the holes formed in the sandal straps by the present invention.
When used in this specification (including the claims), the term "comprises" or "comprising" is taken to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps or components but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof.
The present invention has been described by reference to one or more preferred embodiments. Nevertheless, many modifications, variations and adaptations may be made to these without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and all such modifications, variations and adaptations are intended to be within the meaning and scope of the invention described herein.
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