Patent Application
20210244133
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The disclosure relates to tightening devices and more particularly pertains to a new tightening device for tightening a lace in an article of clothing.
The prior art relates to tightening devices. The prior art discloses a grommet that is attachable to a shoelace to inhibit the shoe lace from passing through an eyelet. The prior art discloses a pair of bulbs that is each attachable to an end of a lace for enhancing the ornamental appeal of the lace. Additionally, the prior art discloses a quick action fastener that can engage a lace on a shoe for performing various purposes on the lace. The prior art also discloses an end cap that is positionable on an end of a lace that includes a pivotable bridle.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a ring that has a lace being extendable therethrough. In this way the ring abuts against an article of clothing through which the lace is extended. A plurality of engagements is each coupled to the ring to engage the lace. Each of the engagements is positioned at an angle in the ring such that the lace can be urged in a first direction through the ring but is inhibited from is urged in a second direction through the ring. In this way the lace is retained at a chosen tightness.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A plurality of engagements 26 is provided and each of the engagements 26 is coupled to the ring 12 to engage the lace 14. Each of the engagements 26 is positioned at an angle in the ring 12 such that the lace 14 can be urged in a first direction through the ring 12 but is inhibited from being urged in a second direction through the ring 12. In this way the ring 12 can retain the lace 14 at a chosen tightness. Each of the engagements 26 is positioned on the inwardly facing side 20 of the ring 12 and each of the engagements 26 extends into the opening 21. Moreover, the engagements 26 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed around a full circumference of the opening 21.
Each of the engagements 26 has a distal end 28 with respect to the inwardly facing side 20. Each of the engagements 26 has a bend 30 thereon to define a first portion 32 forming an angle with a second portion 34. The first portion 32 of each of the engagements 26 slopes toward the rearward side 24 of the ring 12. Moreover, the second portion 34 of each of the engagements 26 slopes toward the rearward side 24 of the ring 12 at a more acute angle than the angle at which the first portion 32 is oriented. Each of the engagements 26 is comprised of a resiliently bendable material such as plastic or the like.
The lace 14 is extendable through the ring 12 from the forward side 22 to the rearward side 24 such that the distal end 28 of each of the engagements 26 slides along the lace 14. In this way the engagements 26 facilitate the lace 14 to be drawn to a selected tightness. Conversely, the distal end 28 of each of the engagements 26 engages the lace 14 when the lace 14 is urged to move through the opening 21 from the rearward side 24 toward the forward side 22. In this way the engagements 26 retain the lace 14 at the selected tightness.
In use, the ring 12 is positioned against the eyelet 18, the lace 14 is extended through the ring 12 in the first direction and the lace 14 is drawn to the desired degree of tightness. In this way the engagements 26 engage the lace 14 to inhibit the lace 14 from passing through the ring 12 in the second direction. Moreover, the ring 12 has a diameter that is too great to pass through the eyelet 18. In this way the article of clothing 16 can be tightened on the user without having to tie or knot the lace 14.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
