Patent Application
20130111717
The present disclosure generally relates to fasteners, and more particularly relates to devices for securing shoelace knots.
Various types of devices are used to adjust or maintain the tightness of shoes on a person's feet. The most common device, of course, is the shoelace. One problem that arises with shoelaces, however, is that tied laces may have a tendency to become untied., especially when the wearer is physically active or when the laces are not tied properly. Untied shoelaces will often drag along the ground and become tattered and filthy. Also, when shoelaces are untied, the fit of the shoes may become too loose or may be uncomfortable for the wearer. Not only this, but untied shoelaces can also cause a person to trip and fall, causing injury.
The present disclosure describes various embodiments of fastening devices for securing a knot of a shoelace. The shoelace knot securing device according to some embodiments may be a fastening device that comprises a base plate configured to conceal a knot of a tied shoelace. The shoelace knot securing device also includes a first clamping assembly and a second clamping assembly arranged on a lower surface of the base plate. The first clamping assembly comprises a first arm having a first end and a second end., where the first arm is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The second clamping assembly comprises a second arm having a first end and a second end, where the second arm is moveable between an open position and a closed position. In addition, the arm of the first clamping assembly and the arm of the second clamping assembly are independently moveable.
Various implementations described in the present disclosure may include additional features and advantages, which may not necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will he apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such features and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.
The features and components of the following figures are illustrated, to emphasize the general principles of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may be designated by matching reference characters.
Shoelaces that are tied in a knot can sometimes become untied, especially when the wearer is physically active or when the laces are not tied properly. For example, while children are often very active, they may have trouble adequately tying laces such that the laces remain tied. The present disclosure describes fastening devices that are configured to secure a shoelace knot and do so in a stylish and decorative manner. By utilizing the fastening devices described herein, the user's shoelaces can stay tied during physical activity, even when the laces may not necessarily be tied tightly.
A shoelace knot securing device 30, according to the embodiments described, in the present disclosure, is configured to secure the knot of the shoelace 12. The shoelace knot securing device 30 includes two damping assemblies, where one clamping assembly is configured to clamp the laces on one side of the knot (e.g., the first loop 14 and first free end 16) and another clamping assembly is configured to clamp the laces on the other side of the knot (e.g., the second loop 20 and second free end 22). The shoelace knot securing device 30 may be secured so as to cover or hide the knot while also holding the loops 14, 20 and free ends 16, 24 of the shoelace 12 in a substantially fixed manner. When the user wishes to untie the knot of the shoelace 12, the user may first unclamp the clamping assemblies from the shoelaces 12 and the shoelace knot securing device 30 may be removed from the shoe 10. The shoelace knot securing device 30 may be configured to secure the knots of the shoelace 12 illustrated in
In
In some embodiments, a decorative layer or decorative element may be attached to the top surface 34 of the base plate 32. The base plate 32 may be configured as a circular disk (as illustrated), or may be oval, square, rectangular, or have any other suitable shape. In some embodiments, the base plate 32 may be formed in a shape that matches the shape of a cavity on an underside of the decorative layer, the cavity being configured to receive the base plate 32.
According to various implementations, when configured as a circular disk, the base plate 32 may have a diameter in the range from about 1.375 inches to about 2.000 inches. The thickness of any combination of elements that includes the base plate 32, clamping assembly 38 (or 40), and a decorative element attached to a top surface of the base plate 32, depending on the different embodiments described herein, may be in the range from about 0.125 inches to about 0.250 inches. The length of each of the clamping assemblies 38 and 40, when in the open position, may be in the range from about 2.125 inches to about 2.625 inches. The length of each of the clamping assemblies 38 and 40, when in the closed position, may be in the range from about 1.000 inches to about 1.250 inches. The width of the clamping assemblies 38 and 40 may be in the range from about 0.175 inches to about 0.250 inches. As illustrated, the arms of the clamping assemblies 38 and 40 are arranged in a substantially parallel manner. A distance between the clamping assemblies 38 and 40, when arranged in parallel, may be in the range from about 0.375 inches to about 0.750 inches, depending on various implementations.
The description, below, in many instances, may refer to only one of the clamping assemblies. For the sake of simplicity, reference may be made to the first clamping assembly 38. However, it should be noted that the second clamping assembly 40 may also be configured with the same features and characteristics as those of the first clamping assembly 38, even if only the first clamping assembly 38 is described.. According to other embodiments, the first clamping assembly 38 and second clamping assembly 40 may have different configurations or the features of each may be mirrored (or reversed) as compared to the other.
The clamping assembly 38 also includes a joint 50. As shown, the thickness of the joint 50 may be less than the thickness of the arms 46 and 48 to allow the bending of the second arm. 48 with respect to the first arm 46 about a pivotal point of the thinner sections of the joint 50. In some embodiments, the joint 50 may be a living hinge and may comprise a material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which allows the joint 50 to be bent hundreds or thousands of times without damaging its integrity.
The clamping assembly 38 may further include multiple ridges or teeth 52 arranged on one side of either or both of the first arm 46 and second arm 48. With respect to embodiments in which the first arm 46 is incorporated in the base plate 32 or is omitted such that the joint 50 and second arm 48 extend from a side edge of the base plate 32, portions of the bottom surface 36 of the base plate 32 may include teeth 52 to correspond with the teeth of second arm 48. When the clamping assembly 38 is arranged in a closed position, the teeth. 52 are configured to secure the shoelaces 12 from opposite side to keep the shoelaces 12 from slipping out of the grasp of the clamping assembly 38.
Furthermore, the clamping assembly 38 includes a lock or latch comprising the combination of a protrusion 54 and the hole 42. The protrusion 54 is configured to be arranged on the first arm 46 at an opposite end from the joint 50. When the second arm 48 is rotated with respect to the first arm 46, the protrusion 54 is configured to be aligned with the hole 42. The protrusion 54 and hole 42 are designed to be complementary to each other and provide a locking function when the protrusion 54 is inserted through the hole 42. To unlock the clamping assembly 38, a person need only provide a small amount of pressure on the end of the second arm 48 away from the first arm 46 to release the protrusion 54 from the hole 42.
The shoelace knot securing device 30 may comprise a decorative cap 66, which may be configured to be attached to the top of the shoelace knot securing device 30 and display a decorative image that may be easily seen when the shoelace knot securing device 30 is installed on the shoe 10. In some embodiments, the shoelace knot securing device 30 may comprise the base plate 32 to which the damping assemblies 38 and 40 and decorative cap 66 are attached. However, as illustrated, in accordance with alternative embodiments, the clamping assemblies 38 and 40 may be attached directly to the decorative cap 66. The decorative cap 66 may have a convex profile on its top surface, as shown, or may have any other suitable shape, depending on the size and shape of the decorative design. The decorative cap 66 may also have a cavity on its bottom surface to receive the base plate 32 and/or clamping assemblies 38 and 40. The decorative cap 66 and the base plate 32 may be attached together by an adhesive material, by dips, or by other suitable attachment means.
According to some embodiments, the base plate 32, first clamping assembly 38, and second clamping assembly 40 may be formed as a single unit in one manufacturing process. In this case, the first arm 46 of the clamping assemblies 38, 40 may be omitted and the base plate 32 may be formed with the teeth 52 along the entire bottom surface 36 of the base plate 32 or at locations corresponding to locations opposite from the teeth 52 on the second arms 48 when in the closed position. Also, when the damping assemblies 38. 40 are formed as one piece with the base plate 32, the joint 50 may extend from a side edge of the base plate 32. When the decorative cap 66 is attached to the base plate 32, the joint 50 may be configured such that, when the damping assembly 38, 40 is in the dosed position, the joint 50 may be tucked underneath the decorative cap 66, or, in alternative embodiments, the joint 50 may extend slightly beyond the edge of the decorative cap 66.
The embodiments of the clamping assembly 38 shown in
In some embodiments, the clamping assembly 70 may include a first arm 72 and a second arm 74. The first arm 72 is configured to be attached by any suitable means to the base plate 32 or may be incorporated with the base plate 32. The clamping assembly 70 also includes a stub 76 and a flexible hinge 78. The stub 76 is formed on a lower surface of the first arm. 72 and is configured to provide a support structure for the flexible hinge 48. Also, the stub 76 is designed to create a gap between the first arm 72 and the second arm 74. In some embodiments, the flexible hinge 78 may be a :living hinge and may comprise a material, such as polypropylene or polyethylene, which allows the flexible hinge 78 to be bent hundreds or thousands of times without damaging its integrity.
The first arm 72 of the damping assembly 70 includes a top surface that is configured to be attached to the lower surface 36 of the base plate 32 or a lower surface of the decorative cap 66. A plurality of ridges 80 may be formed on a bottom surface of the first arm 72 and on an upper surface of the second arm 74. The ridges 80 are configured to help prevent a shoelace from slipping out of the grasp of the clamping assembly 70. Not only can the arms 72 and 74 provide a pinching force on a shoelace, but also the ridges 80 can provide additional holding force.
In some embodiments, the ridges 80 on the different arms may be aligned opposite of each other to allow the clamped shoelace to be pinched from opposite directions. In other embodiments, the ridges 80 may be arranged in an offset manner. Alternatively, the ridges 80 may be arranged at any suitable angle across the width of the arms 72 and 74. :For example, the ridges 80 may he formed such that one set of ridges is transverse to the other set of ridges. Instead of ridges 80, according to some embodiments, the first arm 72 and second arm 74 may include bumps, waves, or other textured surface configurations to provide an additional level of friction with the shoelace.
The clamping assembly 70 further comprises a latch 82. The latch 82 is configured to keep the second arm. 74 of the clamping assembly 70 in the closed position, until the wearer wishes to remove the shoelace knot securing device 30. The latch 82 comprises a protrusion 84 and a catch 86. As illustrated, the protrusion 84 is formed on the second arm 74 and the catch 86 is formed on the first arm 72. Alternatively, the protrusion 84 may be formed on the first arm 72 and the catch 86 may be formed on the second arm 74. As shown, the catch 86 comprises a first wail 88 and second wall 90. When a force is applied, to pivot the second arm 74 toward the first arm 72, the catch 86 is configured to receive and hold the protrusion 84. The protrusion 84 may be configured with a width that is approximately equal to the gap between the first wall 88 and second wall 90. To release the protrusion 84 from the catch 86, opposing forces are applied to the second arm 74 and first arm. 72, causing the protrusion 84 to pull out from the hold of the first and second walls 88 and 90.
As illustrated, the protrusion 84 extends from the top surface of the second arm 74 at the opposite end of the arm 74 from the hinge 78. The protrusion 84 is configured to extend in a substantially perpendicular direction from the second arm 74 to allow the protrusion 84 to align with and easily enter the gap between the first wall 88 and second wail 90. The outer surfaces of the protrusion 84 contact the inner surfaces of walls 88, 90 to hold the arm 74 in the closed position. To overcome the frictional force between these surfaces, a sufficient force is needed to remove the protrusion 84 from the catch 86.
When the clamping assembly 70 is in a closed position, as illustrated in
The base plate 32, as described herein, is configured to conceal a knot of a tied shoelace, such as the shoelace 12. In some embodiments, a decorative layer, such as the decorative cap 66 as shown in
During a manufacturing process, base plate 32 and clamping assemblies (38, 40, 70) may be formed in one step using an injection molding technique. The functional elements of the shoelace knot securing device 30, such as the clamping elements and the latching element may he formed using a single material and color. For example, the base plate 32, clamping assemblies 38, 40, 70, protrusion 54, and latches 82, 92, 100, 120 of the various implementations may be formed using an injection molding process. The injection molding process may involve injecting a material., such as polypropylene into a mold for creating the fastening device. In some embodiments, the decorative caps 66 may be molded onto the upper surface 38 of the base plate 32 in the same molding process or in a separate step. The decorative caps 66 may comprise multiple colors and designs. According to some implementations, the decorative caps 66 may comprise one or more clip elements configured to engage with mating clip elements on the upper surface 34 of the base plate 32. In this respect, the decorative caps 66 may be clipped onto the top of the functional elements of the shoelace knot securing device 30.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merely examples of possible implementations. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.
