Fastener for lace

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6662415
  • Patent Number
    6,662,415
  • Date Filed
    Monday, March 10, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, December 16, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Sakran; Victor
    Agents
    • Kamrath; Alan D.
    • Rider Bennett LLP
Abstract
A fastener for lace includes an upper plate, a lower plate and first, second, third and fourth rods extending between the upper and lower plates. The upper and lower plates both include a front edge, a rear edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. The first and second rods extend between the first lateral edge of the upper plate and the first lateral edge of the lower plate. The third and fourth rods extend between the second lateral edge of the upper plate and the second lateral edge of the lower plate. A first length of lace is wound about the first rod and directed past the second rod. A second length of lace is wound about the third rod and directed past the fourth rod.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of Invention




The present invention relates to a fastener for a lace, string, rope or the like.




2. Related Prior Art




Referring to

FIG. 11

, a conventional fastener for laces, strings and ropes is shown. This conventional fastener includes a housing


2


, a spring


4


and a control element including a button


3


and a rod


6


extending from the button


3


. The housing


2


defines two holes


7


. The spring


4


is put in the housing


2


. The button


3


is located outside the housing


2


. The rod


6


defines a hole


8


. The rod


6


is inserted in the housing


2


and is biased by means of the spring


4


. In use, the rod


6


is pushed down via pressing the button


3


so that the axis of the holes


7


is aligned with the axis of the hole


8


. Two sections of a lace, string, rope or the like


5


are inserted through the holes


7


and


8


. Then, the push button


3


is released so that the sections of the lace, string, rope or the like


5


are fastened by means of the rod


6


and the housing


2


. However, when the sprig


4


is new, it exerts an inadequate force for fastening the sections of the lace, string, rope or the like


5


, and this problem is even worse after it is used for some time. Furthermore, the button


3


can be unintentionally pushed, thus loosening the lace, spring, rope or the like


5


.




The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use and secure fastener for lace.




According to the present invention, a fastener for lace includes an upper plate, a lower plate and fist second, third and fourth rods extending between the upper and lower plates. The upper and lower plates both include a front edge, a rear edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge. The first and second rods extend between the first lateral edge of the upper plate and the first lateral edge of the lower plate. The third and fourth rods extend between the second lateral edge of the upper plate and the second lateral edge of the lower plate. A first length of lace is wound about the first rod and directed past the second rod. A second length of lace is wound about the third rod and directed past the fourth rod.











Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.




BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS




The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of embodiments referring to the attached drawings wherein:





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of a fastener according to a first embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 2

is a cutaway view of the fastener shown in FIG.


1


.





FIGS. 3-5

are cross-sectional views of the fastener shown in FIG.


1


.





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of a fastener according to a second embodiment of the present invention.





FIG. 7

is a perspective view of a basketball shoe with a shoelace fastened utilizing the fastener shown in FIG.


6


.





FIG. 8

is similar to

FIG. 7

, but showing the shoelace wound on the basket shoe in a different manner.





FIG. 9

is a front view of a hat with two strings fastened utilizing the fastener shown in FIG.


6


.





FIG. 10

is a perspective view of a pair of trousers with a string fastened utilizing the fastener shown in FIG.


6


.





FIG. 11

is a cross-sectional view of a conventional fastener for a lace, string, rope or the like.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




Referring to

FIGS. 1-3

, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a fastener


10


is a hollow element through which a lace, string, rope or the like, hereinafter referred to as lace


20


, can be inserted.




The fastener


10


includes an upper plate


11


, a lower plate


12


, a front portion (not numbered), a first lateral portion


14


and a second lateral portion


15


. The upper plate


11


and the lower plate


12


are both shaped as an equilateral trapezoid (or “trapezium” as used in the UK) with a first lateral edge, a second lateral edge as long as the first lateral edge, a front edge and a rear edge longer than the font edge. The first lateral portion


14


extends between the first lateral ed of the upper plate


11


and the first lateral edge of the lower plate


12


. The second lateral portion


15


extends between the second lateral edge of the upper plate


11


and tile second lateral edge of the lower plate


12


. The first lateral portion


14


defines two holes


16


and


17


, thus forming a first rod


31


between the holes


16


and


17


and a second rod


32


beside the hole


17


. The second lateral portion


15


defines two holes


18


and


19


, thus forming a third rod


33


between the holes


18


and


19


and a fourth rod


34


beside tie hole


19


. A space


13


is defined between the second and fourth rods


32


and


34


.




Referring to

FIG. 3

, the lace


20


includes a first end


21


, a second end


22


and a middle section


23


between the first end


21


and the second end


22


. The first end


21


of the lace


20


is inserted through the holes


16


and


17


. That is, the first end


21


of the lace


20


is wound about the first rod


31


and directed past the second rod


32


. The second end


22


of the lace


20


is inserted through the holes


18


and


19


. That is, the second end


22


of the lace


20


is wound about the third rod


33


and directed past the fourth rod


34


.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, an article


24


is shown. The middle section


23


of the lace


20


is wound around the article


24


. The first end


21


and the second end


22


of the lace


20


are pulled from each other, as indicated by means of two arrows. Thus, the article


24


is tightly wrapped via the middle section


23


of the lace


20


.




Referring to

FIG. 5

, the fastener


10


is pulled from the article


24


, thus removing the first end


21


of the lace


20


from another section of the lace


20


, and the second end


22


of the lace


20


from still another section of the lace


20


. Thus, the fastener


10


can be removed from the lace


20


.




Referring to

FIG. 6

, a fastener


10


′ according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the upper plate


11


defines a first hole and a second hole and in that the lower plate


12


defines first hole and a second hole. After insertion through the space


13


, the first end


21


of the lace


20


is inserted through the first hole of the upper plate


11


into the first hole of the lower plate


12


. After inserting through the space


13


, the second end


22


of the lace


20


is inserted through the second hole of the upper plate


11


into the second hole of the lower plate


12


.





FIG. 7

shows the lace


20


used as a shoelace of a basketball shoe


30


. The lace


20


is fastened via the fastener


10


′ shown in FIG.


6


.

FIG. 8

is similar to

FIG. 7

, but showing the lace


20


wound on the basketball shoe


30


in a different manner





FIG. 9

shows a hat


40


with two hat strings


210


fastened by means of the fastener


10


′ shown in FIG.


6


.





FIG. 10

shows the lace


20


for use as a trousers belt of a pair of trousers


50


. The lace


20


is fastened by means of the fastener


10


′ shown in FIG.


6


.




The present invention has been described through detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.



Claims
  • 1. A fastener for lace including:an upper plate with a front edge, a rear edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a lower plate with a front edge, a rear edge, a first lateral edge and a second lateral edge; a first rod extending between the first lateral edge of the upper plate and the first lateral edge of the lower plate; a second rod extending between the first lateral edge of the upper plate and the first lateral edge of the lower plate; a third rod extending between the second lateral edge of the upper plate and the second lateral edge of the lower plate; and a fourth rod extending between the second lateral edge of the upper plate and the second lateral edge of the lower plate, wherein a first length of lace is wound about the first rod and directed past the second rod, and a second length of lace is wound about the third rod and directed past the fourth rod, wherein the upper plate defines a first hole for receiving the first length of lace and a second hole for receiving the second length of lace, and the lower plate defines a first hole for receiving the first length of lace and a second hole for receiving the second length of lace.
  • 2. The fastener according to claim 1 wherein the upper plate and the lower plate are both shaped as a trapezoid.
  • 3. The fastener according to claim 2 wherein the upper plate and the lower plate are both shaped as an equilateral trapezoid.
  • 4. The fastener according to claim 1 wherein the fastener is used to fasten two ends of a shoelace.
  • 5. The fastener according to claim 1 wherein the fastener is used to fasten two hat strings.
  • 6. The fastener according to claim 1 wherein the fastener is used to fasten two ends of a trousers belt.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
969054 Hammalian Aug 1910 A
4872240 Spinner et al. Oct 1989 A
5182838 Stenner Feb 1993 A
5572778 Stenner et al. Nov 1996 A
6003214 Lee Dec 1999 A
6167598 Pransky et al. Jan 2001 B1
6334240 Li Jan 2002 B1
6381816 Lai et al. May 2002 B1
6560903 Darley May 2003 B1