Patent Application
20140041167
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to shoe laces. In particular, elastic shoe laces that, once affixed to a shoe or other footwear, allow a wearer to don and remove shoe without requiring the wearer to repeatedly tie and untie the laces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Shoe laces, which are also called shoe-strings, shoelaces, or boot laces, are a system commonly used to secure shoes, boots and other footwear. They typically consist of a pair of strings or cords, one for each shoe, finished off at both ends with stiff sections, known as aglets. Each shoe lace typically passes through a series of holes, eyelets, loops or hooks on either side of the shoe. Loosening the shoe lace allows the shoe to open wide enough for the foot to be easily inserted or removed. Tightening the lace and tying off the ends secures the shoe on the foot.
Traditional shoe laces were made of leather, cotton, jute, hemp, or other materials used in the manufacture of rope. Modern shoe laces often incorporate various synthetic fibers, which are generally more slippery and thus more prone to coming undone than those made from traditional fibers. On the other hand, smooth synthetic shoe laces generally have a smoother appearance, suffer less wear from friction, and are less susceptible to rotting from moisture. The stiff section at each end of the shoe lace, that keeps the fibers from unraveling and also makes it easier to hold the lace and feed it through the eyelets, is called an aglet.
There are also various elasticized shoe laces. Elastic, a term for certain kinds of elastomers and stretchable fabrics, includes various types. Traditional “elastic” laces look identical to normal laces, and can simply be tied and untied as normal. They may also come with a permanent clip so they can be fastened invisibly, “Knotty” laces have a series of “fat” sections, which restrict movement through eyelets. These can be used to adjust tension throughout the lacing area. The laces can be tied or the ends can be left loose. ‘Twirly’ laces can be a tight elastic helix, which can simply be pulled tight without requiring a knot.
Elastic shoe laces make both the lacing more comfortable to wear as well as allow the shoe to be slipped on and off without tying or untying, which makes elastic laces a popular choice for children, the elderly and athletes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,548 to Jackson describes an elastic shoe lace and fastener. This reference describes a somewhat complex system for securing the ends of the shoe lace involving a dual cord fastener adapted to allow the shoe lace ends to pass through the fastener and to lock two prescribed points on the length of the shoe lace to prevent relative movement.
What has been lacking in this field is an aesthetically pleasing shoe lace that combines the functional convenience of an elastic shoe lace, with a convenient fastening mechanism. Further, this configuration easily lends itself to adding one or more ornamental elements to one or both ends of the laces.
The present invention relates to addressing the limitations of the prior art discussed above. In particular, the invention includes elastic shoe laces, as well as a means for fastening the laces together after they've been laced into the footwear. In one preferred embodiment, an elastic shoe lace is provided, including a slit or button hole on one end of the lace, preferably along the longitudinal axis of the lace. The button hole should be appropriately sized to accommodate a button that is attached to the other side of the lace. The slit/button hole end of the lace is threaded through the eyelets of a shoe/boot, and the button is subsequently pushed through the slit/button hole. The shoe may then be put on and taken off more easily, without damaging the shoe, and without having to tie/untie the lace. The button can also be used for ornamentation.
Straight lacing is preferably used on shoes with an even number of eyelet pairs (e.g. 8 pairs=16 eyelets). This is because the lace must cross the shoe an even number of times so that the ends will meet and can be secured together. On shoes with an odd number of eyelet pairs (e.g. 7 pairs=14 eyelets), the lace ends finish diagonally opposite each other at the top of the shoe.
It should be noted that this invention can be utilized using a large variety of lacing techniques (not shown), and is not limited to the style shown in the drawings.
The bow 18 can be secured in a variety of ways, including via the use of a button 20 and button hole 14. For a better view of these elements, see
In this figure, the bow (or bow tie) 18 is an ornamental element coupled to the lace 12. The aglet 16 is shown located at the end of the second end of the shoe lace 18 and is typically a small plastic or metal sheath used on each end of the shoe lace. The aglet 16 keeps the fibers of the shoe lace or cord from unraveling, and its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through the eyelets 22 during lacing. The shoe lace 12 is made of an elastic material that can expand and contract. One of the advantages of the elastic shoe lace 12 is that once the lace is secured on the shoe 10, the wearer can, without damaging the shoe 10, put the shoe on and take the shoe off without tying and untying the shoe lace due to the elasticity of the shoe lace.
