Information
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Patent Grant
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6502329
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Patent Number
6,502,329
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Date Filed
Thursday, November 4, 199924 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, January 7, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 036 501
- 036 505
- 434 397
- 012 142 LC
- 024 7134
- 024 7133
- 024 7136
- 024 7121
- 024 7145
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International Classifications
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Abstract
After purchase of a footwear article of manufacture, such as a sneaker, boot or the like, the substitution for the traditional lacing-up of the article of studs and lace of elastomeric construction material in a criss cross pattern to facilitate the fitting on and removal of the article from a user's foot.
Description
The present invention relates generally to footwear having a facilitated lacing system, and more particularly to the application of the lacing system in a desired crisscrossing pattern to a boot or sneaker in which the attributes of an elastic shoelace are used to advantage.
The elastic construction material of the shoelace is useful primarily so that when in a crisscross pattern, the user can widen the shoe front opening manually and the elastic will give accordingly. Elasticity also closes the opening after replacing the shoe on the foot.
EXAMPLE OF THE PRIOR ART
The utilitarian contribution of a shoelace of an elastic construction material is well documented in the prior art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,785 issued to Sinisa Egelja for “Resilient Loops and Mating Hooks For Securing Footwear To A Foot” on Jun. 24, 1997. This patent discloses the use of plural hooks or studs, either permanently or replaceable located along the edges of the shoe front flaps. Cooperating with the studs are plural closed loops of elastomeric construction material in which the free ends of the loops are adapted to be secured to a cooperating stud(s) and the opposite loop ends are, as provided in the an OEM condition, permanently attached to the upper.
It can be assumed that individual closed loops rather than a more preferred crisscrossing pattern in the deployment of the shoelace was used because of the difficulty of doing so using an elastic shoelace. This is a consequence in a crisscrossing lace pattern of length portions of the shoelace being trapped beneath the front flaps and the tongue and thusly held by friction and gripping forces against movement which is required in response to a user pulling up on the shoelace during the lacing closed of the front opening of the boot or sneaker. The closed elastic loops of the '785 patent retains the benefits of elasticity in the shoelace, but at the expense of foregoing the use of a crisscrossing lace pattern and its contribution to greater comfort.
Broadly, it is an object to provide an elastic shoelace deployed in a crisscrossing pattern overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object to achieve the deployment without friction and like forces inhibiting desired movement of the shoelace in the lacing-up procedure, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.
The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a boot fitted onto a user's foot preparatory to walking use;
FIG. 2
is a view similar to
FIG. 1
but illustrating the fitting procedure resulting in the boot condition of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a cross sectional view taken along line
3
—
3
of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is a cross sectional view similar to
FIG. 3
, but illustrating a condition of the lacing of the boot prevalent in the prior art;
FIG. 5
is an isolated simplified plan view of an elastic shoelace assembly prior to use in the establishment of a crisscrossing lacing pattern as illustrated in
FIGS. 1
,
2
; and
FIGS. 6 and 7
are respectively isolated front and side views of a shoelace-keeper component of the present invention.
Method aspects of the present invention, as will be subsequently described in detail, are concerned with the lacing closed of a front opening of a footwear article of manufacture exemplified by a boot and a sneaker in which there is a partial closing by an extension thereinto of cooperating left and right flaps, and proposes the improvement consisting of a method of completing the closing by the urging of the left and right flaps in closing movement towards each other, all to the end of achieving a preferred shoelace crisscrossing pattern in a facilitated manner.
Shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, is a walking or sport boot, generally designated
10
, having an upper
12
which bounds a foot-receiving compartment
14
for receiving thereinto (
FIG. 2
) and removing therefrom a foot
16
of a user, wherein edges
18
located along the periphery of a left front flap
20
and a right front flap
22
bound a front opening
24
into the compartment
14
. A tongue
26
is attached to extend lengthwise of the opening
24
but, as generally known, it is provided mainly for comfort and appearance, and the lacing closed of the opening is a primary function of the cooperating left and right front flaps
20
,
22
.
In each peripheral flap edge
18
, there are provided conventional shoelace keeper-openings, individually and collectively designated
28
, being in active use herein three in number in each flap
20
,
22
and thus six in total. As a consequence, the user is provided the option of establishing a crisscrossing lace pattern
29
in a first plane
30
coincident to the plane of the flaps
20
,
22
, by threading a shoelace
32
in the desired crisscrossing pattern
29
through the shoelace keeper-openings
28
.
FIG. 4
illustrates the exercise of this option, which it is to be noted is the option of choice of the prior art, and the exercise of which unavoidably traps length portions
34
of the shoelace
32
between the flaps' peripheral edges
18
and the tongue
26
, with the consequence of giving rise to a frictional force
36
inhibiting movement of the shoelace
32
in response to the user pulling up on the shoelace during the lacing closed of the front opening
24
.
In accordance with the present invention, a user is provided another option of establishing a crisscrossing lace pattern
29
in a second plane
38
coincident with the plane of shoelace keeper loops, individually and collectively designated
40
. Each shoelace keeper-loop
40
is an integral structural feature of a stud, individually and collectively designated
42
, except in
FIGS. 5 and 6
in which the designated studs
42
are followed by letters to distinguish therebetween. Each said stud consists of a medial cylindrical body
44
having an upper enlarged diameter shape
46
and a base with an enlarged diameter shape
48
and the noted loop
40
connected in spanning relation, as at
50
and
52
, between the shapes
46
,
48
.
As best understood from
FIGS. 3
,
6
and
7
, the edge
54
of each loop bounds a size in the opening
56
which is selected to provide a movement clearance
58
for the shoelace
32
, which is a consequence of the size differences between the diameter
60
of the shoelace
32
and the shoelace keeper-opening
56
, to the end of obviating any frictional resistance to movement at any locations along the length of the shoelace
32
during the lacing up procedure. To use to maximum advantage the frictionless lacing-up procedure, as just described, it is recommended that the shoelace
32
be of elastic construction material so that there is appropriate expansion and contraction in the shoelace
32
which, in practice, it has been found to effectively obviate localized pressure points as might contribute to discomfort during the walking use of the boot
10
.
It is to be understood however, that a user might elect to use a shoelace of fabric or leather construction material and achieve the partial, but nevertheless, significant benefit of a facilitated lace-up procedure.
Each stud
42
has an internally threaded blind opening
62
which threadably engages, as at
64
, a threaded shank
66
of a screw
68
. The exercising of the option of establishing a crisscrossing pattern in the plane
38
while using an elastic shoelace
32
, is best understood from FIG.
5
. Prior to the closed loop configuration
70
assumed by the elastic shoelace
32
, the shoelace is threaded through the keeper-openings
40
, and the free ends then receive an appropriate slide
72
and are connected together by an appropriate clamp
74
. The preferred slide
72
is of the type normally closed under spring urgency against the shoelace threaded therethrough, and released to partake of sliding movement when a spring-deactivating button
76
is depressed. The preferred clamp
74
is one having a shaped body effective to serve as a convenient finger grip when pulling up on the shoelace.
Still referring to the assembly of
FIG. 5
, in which letters A-F are added to the numerical designation
42
of the studs in alphabetical order, the preferred sequence of applying the closed loop
70
to the boot
10
is to secure stud
42
E in the third from the top vacant opening in the right front flap
22
, followed by securing studs
42
D and
42
F in respective spaced apart vacant lace openings
28
in the left front flap
20
, followed by securing stud
42
B in between the secured studs
42
D and
42
F, and completing the sequence by securing in place studs
42
A and
42
C in spaced apart vacant lace openings in the right front flap
22
. For comparison of
FIGS. 1 and 5
and better understanding of the deploying of the studs, the number/letter designations used for the studs in
FIG. 5
have been duplicated in FIG.
1
.
While the apparatus for practicing the within inventive method, as well as said method herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. In the lacing closed of a front opening of a footwear article of manufacture exemplified by a boot and a sneaker in which there is partial closing by an extension thereunto of cooperating left and right flaps, the improvement consisting of a method of completing said closing in the urging of said left and right flaps in closing movement towards each other comprising the steps of:(1) establishing sites for a crisscrossing lacing pattern in a first plane of said flaps using walls bounding empty lacing openings in confronting peripheral edges thereof; (2) establishing a crisscrossing lacing pattern correlated to said established sites in a second plane in a clearance position above said first plane using integral configurations of loops bounding empty openings in keeper members having threadably attachable bases disposed in said lacing openings in said confronting peripheral edges of said flaps; and (3) threading a lace in a crisscrossing pattern using said keeper members' loops; whereby, a clearance position of said second plane above said first plane facilitates establishment of said crisscrossing lacing pattern.
US Referenced Citations (11)