System for transporting recreational and specialized footwear

Abstract

The present invention presents a system for transporting a pair of recreational or specialized footwear comprising a handle, a left body for holding a left shoe, a right body for holding a right shoe, a left pivot point in between the left body and the left side of the handle allowing the left body to be rotated 360 degrees, a right pivot point in between the right body and the right side of the handle allowing the right body to be rotated 360 degrees and a connector comprising of two or more corresponding parts for securing the left body to the right body.

Claims

1. A footwear carrier, comprising: a handle; a left body for holding a left shoe, the left body consisting essentially of a strap; the strap of the left body being twisted to form a point of overlap at which a first surface of the strap crosses completely under and contacts a second surface of the strap; a right body for holding a right shoe, the right body consisting essentially of a strap; the strap of the right body being twisted to form a point of overlap at which a first surface of the strap crosses completely under and contacts a second surface of the strap; a left pivot point in between the left body and the left side of the handle for allowing the left body to be rotated 360 degrees; a right pivot point in between the right body to the right side of the handle for allowing the right body to be rotated 360 degrees; and a connector comprising of two or more corresponding parts located on the left body and the right body for securing the left body to the right body.

2. The footwear carrier of claim 1 wherein the handle further comprises a secure connector attached to the handle for securing the footwear carrier to a bag.

3. The footwear carrier of claim 1 wherein the handle is adjustable.

4. The footwear carrier of claim 1 wherein the corresponding parts of the connector are located on the bottom of the footwear carrier.

5. The footwear carrier of claim 1 wherein the corresponding parts of the connector are located on the inner sides of the left body and the right body of the footwear carrier.

6. The footwear carrier of claim 1 wherein the corresponding parts of the connector are located on the bottom of the footwear carrier and on the inner sides of the left body and the right body of the footwear carrier.

7. A system for transporting footwear, comprising: a bag, comprising a receptacle and at least one strap; and a footwear carrier attached to at least one strap of the bag, comprising: a handle; a left body for holding a left shoe, the left body consisting essentially of a strap; the strap of the left body being twisted to form a point of overlap at which a first surface of the strap crosses completely under and contacts a second surface of the strap; a right body for holding a right shoe, the right body consisting essentially of a strap; the strap of the right body being twisted to form a point of overlap at which a first surface of the strap crosses completely under and contacts a second surface of the strap; a left pivot point in between the left body and the left side of the handle for allowing the left body to be rotated 360 degrees; a right pivot point in between the right body to the right side of the handle for allowing the right body to be rotated 360 degrees; and a connector comprising of two or more corresponding parts located on the left body and the right body for securing the left body to the right body.

8. The footwear carrier of claim 1, wherein the strap of the left body and the strap of the right body are each in a figure eight arrangement.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example only, and not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a system for transporting recreational and specialized footwear according to the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a footwear carrier with a pair of shoes inserted and rotated sufficiently to engage the corresponding parts of the connector where the corresponding parts of the connector are at the bottom of each shoe according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a footwear carrier with a pair of shoes inserted according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a footwear carrier with a pair of shoes inserted according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of a footwear carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of a footwear carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 7a is a side view of the left body of a footwear carrier with a left shoe inserted according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(9) FIG. 7b is a rear perspective view of a left body of a footwear carrier with a left shoe inserted according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(10) FIG. 8 is a side view of the left body of a footwear carrier with both a bottom and side connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(11) FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of a handle of a footwear carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(12) FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a pivot point of a footwear carrier according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(13) Referring now to the figures, where similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the figures, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a system for transporting an extra pair of footwear according to the present invention comprising a sleek, lightweight and flexible footwear carrier 102 and a bag 100. FIG. 2 depicts a preferred embodiment of the footwear carrier 102 with a pair of shoes inserted, comprising a handle 104 for either holding the footwear carrier 102 or connecting the footwear carrier 102 to the bag 100, a left body 110 for holding a left shoe 112, a right body 106 for holding a right shoe 108, a left pivot point 116 in between the left body 110 and the left side of the handle 104 allowing the left body 110 to be rotated 360 degrees, a right pivot point 114 in between the right body 106 and the right side of the handle 104 allowing the right body 106 to be rotated 360 degrees, and a connector 118 comprising of two or more corresponding parts for securing the left body 110 to the right body 106 thereby reducing swinging of the footwear carrier 102.

(14) The footwear carrier 102 is primarily made of an elastic fabric or an elastic fabric blend such as neoprene, rubber, polyester neoprene blend, elastane fabric blend or some similar fabric blend typically known in the art to be flexible enough to allow folding while preventing creasing and shape loss. Different sections of the footwear carrier 102 may be made of different materials and fabrics some of which may include leather, mesh, nylon and cotton. The material used to form the dorsal section 120 should preferably be sufficiently thick such that the laces of the shoe are not imprinted into the material. The pivot points shown at 116 and 114 provide 360 degree rotation of the left body 110 and right body 106. The pivot points 116 and 114 may be made of a fabric or material that is easily twisted or they may take the form of a small device such as a pivot hinge or ball bearing or another device generally known in the art to allow 360 degree rotation. The connector 118 comprises of two or more corresponding parts which may include, but are not limited to magnets, male and female connectors and fasteners, hook and eye fasteners, and hook and loop fasteners. The handle 104 may vary in length but is preferably sufficiently short such that the footwear carrier is secured snuggly on a bag when the left body 110 and right body 106 are connected. The handle may be rigid or flexible, and flat, cylindrical or tubular.

(15) FIGS. 5 and 6 show front and rear perspective views respectively of a preferred embodiment of the footwear carrier 102. FIGS. 3 and 4 show the footwear carrier 102 after a pair of shoes are inserted. The toe of the left shoe 112 is inserted into the dorsal section 120 of the left body 110 and the heel section 122 of the left body is looped around the heel of the left shoe 112. The toe of the right shoe 108 is inserted into the dorsal section 120 of the right body 106 and the heel section 122 of the right body 106 is looped around the heel of the right shoe 108. As shown in FIG. 1 the handle 104 is placed over the strap of the bag 100 such that the shoes are hanging from the strap of the bag 100. The pivot points 114 and 116, as magnified in FIGS. 9 and 10 allow the left body 110 and the right body 106 to be rotated sufficiently such that the corresponding parts of the connector 118 are aligned to be engaged and are thereafter engaged.

(16) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the corresponding parts of the connector 118 may be located on the basal section 126 of the footwear carrier allowing the left body 110 and the right body 106 to be secured when rotated sufficiently such that the bottoms of the left body 110 and the right body 106 are facing one another. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7a the corresponding parts of the connector 118 may be located on the inner sides of the left body 110 and the right body 106 of the footwear carrier 102 allowing the left body 110 and the right body 106 to be secured adjacently. FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of the footwear carrier where the corresponding parts of the connector 118 are located on the inner sides of the left body 110 and the right body 106 of the footwear carrier 102 and on the basal section 126 of the footwear carrier allowing the left body 110 and the right body 106 to be secured adjacently or bottom to bottom.

(17) Referring now to FIGS. 7a and 7b, which show another embodiment of the present invention, the dorsal section 120 of the footwear carrier 102 loops around the front of the shoe, the heel section 122 connects to the dorsal section 120 on each side and loops around the heel of the shoe. In this embodiment of the present invention the basal section 126 is a mirror of the dorsal section 120. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention according to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 the basal section 126 of the footwear carrier 102 forms a cross 124. When the shoes are inserted into the footwear carrier 102 the cross 124 of the basal section 126 rests on the arches of the shoe.

(18) In one embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 9, the handle 104 of the footwear carrier 102 further comprises a secure connector for securing the footwear carrier to a bag 100. The secure connector may be attached to the handle via an eyelet 130 or another connection means generally known in the art. The secure connector may take the form of a clasp, a ring with an open and close function, a clip, a hook and loop fastener or other similar means. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.