Footwear article using a criss-crossing lacing pattern

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6502329
  • Patent Number
    6,502,329
  • Date Filed
    Thursday, November 4, 1999
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 7, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Yu; Mickey
    • Arnold; Troy
    Agents
    • Myron Amer, P.C.
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)
Number Name Date Kind
571749 Colton Nov 1896 A
1466673 Solomon Sep 1923 A
1469661 Migita Oct 1923 A
1697893 Winlow Jan 1929 A
1995243 Clarke Mar 1935 A
2287985 Gookin Jun 1942 A
3333304 Daddona, Jr. Aug 1967 A
3834048 Maurer Sep 1974 A
4458373 Maslow Jul 1984 A
4633548 Siskind et al. Jan 1987 A
5566474 Leick et al. Oct 1996 A