Improved shoe lace accessory

Abstract

The invention relates to an accessory for shoe laces including an accessory body, lid that can be closed together between a substantially open and substantially closed state with the body having a substantially flattened shape or low profile in the closed state. A holding portion, associated with the accessory body and or lid, acts on the shoe lace to substantially cover and hold in place. A replaceable cap may be secured to the lid is some forms of the invention. The invention also relates to a method of use and a method of replacement of the caps accordingly.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A shoe lace accessory comprising:
 an accessory body having a generally circular profile, the accessory body including a locking projection;   a lid having a generally circular profile and including a generally circular receiving portion on an outer portion of the lid, the lid attached to the accessory body by a hinge such that the lid and the accessory body can be closed together by moving the lid between an open state and a closed state and configured in a locked configuration by locking the lid to the body via the locking projection with a push fit;   an exchangeable decorative cap being smaller than the generally circular receiving portion and having one or more pins extending therefrom, and a securing part located on or adjacent to an inner surface of the lid, the securing part having one or more recesses configured to receive the one or more pins;   the exchangeable decorative cap being securable to the lid by configuring the lid in an open state and positioning the exchangeable decorative cap within the generally circular receiving portion such that the one or more pins fit through one or more corresponding holes in the lid and engage the one or more recesses with a push fit to maintain the cap in place, the exchangeable decorative cap further secured to prevent accidental removal by configuring the lid in the closed state with the lid and the accessory body in the locked configuration; and   a lace holding portion formed within the accessory body when the lid and body are closed together, the lace holding portion comprising a first portion extending from an inner surface of the accessory body toward the inner surface of the lid and a second portion extending from the inner surface of the lid toward the inner surface of the accessory body, wherein a shoe lace is knotted to form a knot within the first portion while the lid and the accessory body are in the open state and the shoe lace is secured by the second portion when the lid and the accessory body are in the closed state, the second portion substantially covering the knot in a manner that firmly holds the shoe lace without causing damage to the shoe lace,   
       wherein in the closed state the lace holding portion firmly holds the shoe lace without causing damage to the shoe lace, the lid substantially covers the knot, and the exchangeable decorative cap is secured to prevent accidental removal, and wherein the lid, the exchangeable decorative cap, and the accessory body together form a profile of less than 20 millimetres in the closed state. 
     
     
         40 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 39 , comprising at least two materials, a first material for the accessory body being a plastics material chosen from the group consisting of: polyethylene; poly vinyl chloride (“PVC”); and polypropylene, and a second material for the lid or the exchangeable decorative cap being a different plastic material or a rubber material, the second material being softer than the first material. 
     
     
         41 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 39 , further comprising a pair of lace holes in the accessory body, the pair of lace holes located on opposite sides of the lace holding portion and adapted for receipt of the shoe lace, wherein, before the shoe lace is tied, a first end of the shoe lace is fed through a first of the pair of lace holes toward the inner surface of the accessory body and a second end of the shoe lace is fed through a second of the pair of lace holes toward the inner surface of the accessory body such that once the knot is tied, the knot is substantially contained within the lace holding portion and the shoe lace is held firmly by the second portion in the closed state. 
     
     
         42 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 39 , wherein, the first portion and the second portion of the lace holding portion are each substantially circular. 
     
     
         43 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 42 , wherein the first portion is configured to be smaller in diameter than the second portion, such that in the closed state the first portion and the second portion form concentric circular parts, with the knot in the center and the lace held by the second portion to prevent movement of the lace. 
     
     
         44 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 39 , wherein the lid, the exchangeable decorative cap, and the accessory body together form a profile of less than 10 millimetres in the closed state. 
     
     
         45 . The shoe lace accessory of  claim 39 , wherein the locking projection engages a mating part of the lid to secure in lid place in the closed position.