Patent Application
20230413950
The embodiments described herein are generally related to closure or tightening systems, devices, and methods related to footwear. The embodiments are specifically related to closure or tightening systems and devices that may be retrofit to existing footwear, and methods of retrofitting existing footwear with a closure or tightening system or device.
Footwear commonly includes a closure or tightening system or device. For example, footwear commonly includes shoelace that is threaded through eyelets of the shoe and tensioned to tighten the shoe about the foot. Shoelace may be inconvenient for a user since its use requires the user to tension the shoelace and tie a knot. The knot may come undone after a period of time and/or as a result of the user participating in certain activities, such as hiking, running, sporting events, and the like. The tightness of the shoe is often compromised as the shoelace's knot is undone, which may impede the performance of the user in an activity and/or require the user to re-tension and retie the shoelace.
Some footwear may include other non-shoelace closure systems or devices that alleviate some of the problems associated with shoelace. For example, footwear may include a pull-cord system where a tensioning component is coupled with the shoe and with a stop or crimp-type component. The tensioning component may be tensioned, such as by pulling on an end of the tensioning component, and the stop or crimp-type component engaged with the tensioning component to maintain a set tension of the tensioning component. Other footwear may include a reel based mechanism that includes a knob that is rotated by a user. The knob is typically coupled with a spool that includes a channel around which a lace is wound as the knob is rotated by the user. The reel based mechanism may include teeth that engage, or another ratchet type mechanism, that prevent counter-rotation of the spool and/or knob.
The footwear that include these non-shoelace closure systems are often designed and/or specifically configured with the systems. As such, footwear that currently includes shoelace are often not able to use non-shoelace type closure systems. In some instances, a non-shoelace type closure system may be attached to footwear that is originally constructed for tightening via shoelace, but in such instances the footwear is typically physically altered in some way so that attaching the non-shoelace type closure system significantly damages the footwear or otherwise results in significant visible or other evidence of the attachment.
The embodiments described herein provide closure or tightening systems and devices that may be attached to existing footwear without significantly damaging or altering the footwear or otherwise forming significantly visible or other evidence of the attachment. The embodiments also provide methods of attaching closure or tightening systems or devices to existing footwear without significantly damaging or altering the footwear. According to one embodiment, a lacing system that is removably coupleabe with footwear is provided. The lacing system includes a first guide member that is positionable on a first side of the footwear and a second guide member that is positionable on a second side of the footwear opposite the first side. The lacing system also includes a tension member that is guided by the first guide member and the second guide member along a path about the footwear—commonly along a tongue portion of the footwear. The tension member is tensionable to tighten the footwear about a foot by pulling or urging the first and second sides together.
The lacing system further includes a tensioning mechanism that is coupleable with the footwear and removable therefrom without damaging the footwear so that upon removal of the tensioning mechanism, the coupling of the tensioning mechanism and the footwear is not readily recognizable. The tensioning mechanism is operable with the tension member to maintain a tension of the tension member and thereby maintain a tightness of the footwear about the foot. In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism is operable with a single hand to tension the tension member. In such embodiments, the tensioning mechanism may be a reel based mechanism or a pull cord type mechanism.
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism is coupled with an elongate panel member that is positionable along a tongue of the footwear. In such embodiments, the tensioning mechanism may be coupled with a distal end of the elongate panel member and a proximal end of the elongate panel member may include a support member that extends roughly orthogonally therefrom. The support member may be coupleable with opposing sides of the footwear's tongue (i.e., the first and second sides of the footwear) to stabilize the elongate panel member. In some embodiments, the support member may be moveable proximally and distally relative to the proximal end of the elongate panel member to accommodate footwear of various shapes and sizes. The proximal end of the elongate panel member may be trimmable and/or opposing ends of the support member may be trimmable to facilitate in positioning of the elongate panel member along the footwear's tongue and/or in coupling of the support member with the opposing sides of the footwear's tongue.
In some embodiments, the first guide member and/or the second guide member may include a base member and an upper member that is attached to the base member to form a loop. The upper member may be sufficiently flexible to be insertable through an eyelet of the footwear so that the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet. In such embodiments, the base member may be configured to prevent the guide member from being pulled through the eyelet.
In some embodiments, the first guide member and/or second guide member may be formed via a fabric strip of material (e.g., shoelace) that is weaved along a tongue and through eyelets of the footwear to form one or more loop portions. In such embodiments, the tension member may be guided along the path about the footwear via insertion of the tension member through the loop portions. In some embodiments, the first guide member and/or the second guide member include a fabric loop having opposing end that are insertable within adjacent eyelets of the footwear such that a middle portion of the fabric loop is positioned below the eyelets while the opposing looped ends of the fabric loop are positioned above the eyelets.
In some embodiments, the tension member is fixedly attached to the tensioning mechanism prior to coupling of the tensioning mechanism with the footwear. In such embodiments, the first and second guide members may be slidingly coupled with the tension member so that the lacing system is an all-in-one unit that is coupleable with the footwear.
According to another embodiment, a removable tightening device is provided. The removable tightening device includes a tensioning mechanism that is removably coupleable with an article without damaging the article so that upon removal, the coupling of the tensioning mechanism is unrecognizable. The tensioning mechanism may be operable with a tension member to maintain a tension of the tension member and the tension member may be tensionable to tighten the article and may be guided along a path about the article via one or more guide members.
The tensioning mechanism may be coupled with an elongate panel member that is positionable about the article to stabilize the tensioning member relative to the article. A support member may be coupled toward an end of the elongate panel member opposite the tensioning mechanism. The support member may be coupleable with opposing sides of the article to stabilize the elongate panel member relative to the article. The one or more guide members may include a base member and an upper member that are attached to the base member to form a loop. The upper member may be sufficiently flexible so as to be insertable through an eyelet of the article such that the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet. The base member may be configured to prevent the one or more guide members from being pulled through the eyelet. The tension member may be fixedly attached to the tensioning mechanism prior to coupling the tensioning mechanism with the article, and the one or more guide members may be slidingly coupled with the tension member.
According to another embodiment, a removable device for tightening an article is provided. The removable device includes a tensioning mechanism that is coupleable with the article and that is removable therefrom without damaging the article so that upon removal of the tensioning mechanism, the article has substantially no visible indications of the tensioning mechanism being coupled therewith. The tensioning mechanism is operable to tension a tension member to tighten the article and to maintain the tension of the tension member to maintain a tightness of the article. The tension member extends along or about a lace path about the article and is guided along the lace path by one or more guide members of the article.
According to another embodiment, a method of configuring footwear to include a removable tensioning mechanism is provided. The method includes or involves footwear that includes: a first guide member positioned on a first side of the footwear and a second guide member positioned on a second side of the footwear opposite the first side. The method also includes positioning a tension member about the footwear and along a path so that the tension member is guided by the first guide member and the second guide member along the path. The tension member is tensionable to tighten the footwear by urging or pulling the first side of the footwear toward the second side of the footwear. The method further includes coupling a tensioning mechanism with the footwear without damaging the footwear so that upon removal of the tensioning mechanism, the coupling of the tensioning mechanism and the footwear is unrecognizable or not readily detectable. The tensioning mechanism is operable with the tension member to maintain a tension of the tension member and thereby maintain a tightness of the footwear.
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism is coupled with an elongate panel member. In such embodiments, the method also includes positioning the elongate panel member along a tongue portion of the footwear. In such embodiments, the method may further include coupling a support member of the elongate panel member with opposing sides of the footwear's tongue portion to stabilize the elongate panel member, the support member being coupled toward an end of the elongate panel member opposite the tensioning member. In such embodiments, the method may additionally include adjusting the support member proximally or distally about the elongate panel member to accommodate a shape and/or size of the footwear. In such embodiments, the method may additionally include trimming the end of the elongate panel member to facilitate in positioning of the elongate panel member along the footwear's tongue and/or trimming opposing ends of the support member to facilitate in coupling of the support member with the opposing sides of the footwear's tongue.
In some embodiments, the first guide member and/or the second guide member may include a base member and an upper member that is attached to the base member to form a loop. In such embodiments, the method may also include inserting the upper member through an eyelet of the footwear so that the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet.
In some embodiments, the method may further include weaving a shoelace along a tongue portion of the footwear and through one or more eyelets to form one or more loop portions, the first guide member and the second guide member being formed from the one or more loop portions, and inserting the tension member through the one or more loop portions so that the tension member is guided along the path about the footwear.
According to another embodiment, a method of removably coupling a tensioning mechanism with an article is provided. The method includes coupling a tensioning mechanism with an article without damaging the article so that the tensioning mechanism is removable from the article and so that the coupling of the tensioning mechanism is unrecognizable or not readily detectable upon removal of the tensioning mechanism. The method also includes coupling the tensioning mechanism with a tension member, where the tension member is guided along a path about the article via one or more guide members and is tensionable to tighten the article, and where the tensioning mechanism is operable to maintain a tension of the tension member and thereby maintain a tightness of the article. In some embodiments, the article may be footwear.
In some embodiments, the tensioning mechanism is coupled with an elongate panel member. In such embodiments, the method also includes positioning the elongate panel member about the article to stabilize the tensioning mechanism about the article. In some embodiments, the first guide member and/or the second guide member include a base member and an upper member that is attached to the base member to form a loop. In such embodiments, the method also includes inserting the upper member through an eyelet of the article so that the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet.
In some embodiments, the tension member is fixedly coupled with the tensioning mechanism prior to coupling the tensioning mechanism with the article and the one or more guide members are slidingly coupled with the tension member. In such embodiments, the method also includes coupling the one or more guide members with the article. In such embodiments, coupling the one or more guide members with the article may removably couple the one or more guide members, tension member, and tensioning mechanism with the article. In such embodiments, coupling the one or more guide members with the article may include inserting a proximal end of the one or more guide members through a respective eyelet of the article.
According to another embodiment, a guide member for routing a tension member along a path of an article is provided. The guide member includes a base member and an upper member that is attached to the base member to form a loop for routing the tension member after the tension member is inserted through the loop. The upper member is sufficiently flexible so as to be positioned through an eyelet of the article and the base member is sufficiently rigid to restrict the base member from being pulled through the eyelet. When the upper member is inserted through the eyelet, the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet.
In some embodiments, the upper member is a fabric material loop or strip. In some embodiments, the base member is a rigid material. In other embodiments, the base member is a fabric material strip having a shorter longitudinal length than a longitudinal length of the upper member's fabric material strip. In such embodiments, opposing ends of the fabric material strips may be coupled together with a central portion of the upper member's fabric material strip extending from the base member to form the loop. In such embodiments, the coupled opposing ends may form flanges that extend roughly orthogonally from the upper material's loop. Each flange may have a longitudinal length of between 3 and 6 mm.
In some embodiments, the upper member is attached to the base member so that a portion of the loop directly adjacent the base member comprises a gap having a width of between 3 and 5 mm. In some embodiments, the upper member's loop extends above the base member by between about 8 and 12 mm. In some embodiments, the a backing material may be positionable atop the base member after the upper member is positioned through the eyelet. The backing material may be couplable with the article to conceal the base member thereunder.
According to another embodiment, a method of forming a guide member is provided. The guide member is configured for routing a tension member along a path of an article and the method includes providing a base member that is sufficiently rigid so as to restrict the base member from being pulled through an eyelet of the article and attaching an upper member to the base member to form a loop for routing the tension member after the tension member is inserted through the loop. The upper member is sufficiently flexible so as to be positionable through the eyelet of the article so that when the upper member is inserted through the eyelet, the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet.
In some embodiments, the upper member is a fabric material strip having opposing ends coupled together to form a loop and the base member is a rigid material having a pair of slots through which the fabric material is slidingly disposed. In other embodiments, the upper member is a fabric material strip and the base member is a fabric material strip with the base member's fabric material strip having a shorter longitudinal length than a longitudinal length of the upper member's fabric material strip. In such embodiments, the method also includes coupling opposing ends of the fabric material strips with a central portion of the upper member's fabric material strip extending roughly orthogonally from the base member to form the loop. In such embodiments, the coupled opposing ends may form flanges that extend roughly orthogonally from the upper material's loop with each flange having a width of between 3 and 6 mm.
In some embodiments, the upper member is attached to the base member so that a portion of the loop directly adjacent the base member includes a gap having a width of between 3 and 5 mm. In some embodiments, the upper member's loop extends above the base member by between about 8 and 12 mm. In some embodiments, the method additionally includes positioning a backing material atop the base member after the upper member is positioned through the eyelet and coupling the backing material with the article to conceal the base member thereunder.
The present invention is described in conjunction with the appended figures:
In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same numerical reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components and/or features. If only the first numerical reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components and/or features having the same first numerical reference label irrespective of the letter suffix.
Embodiments described herein provide various features of closure devices that may be used to close a variety of items, such as medical braces (i.e., back braces, knee braces, and the like), items of clothing (i.e., hats, gloves, and the like), sports apparel (boots, snowboard boots, ski boots, and the like), and various other items. A specific embodiment in which the closure devices may be used involves shoes. For ease in describing the embodiments herein, the disclosure will mainly describe the closure device being used for shoes, although it should be realized that the closure devices may be used for the various other items.
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to “retrofit” a shoe to include one or more components of a lacing system. As used herein, the term “retrofit” describes adapting an existing shoe, or another article or apparel, to include one or more components of the lacing system so that the lacing system may be used to close the shoe or other article/apparel. Adapting or retrofitting an existing shoe may include coupling a tightening mechanism, one or more guides, lace termination points, and the like, with the shoe or other apparel so that the shoe is able to be closed via the lacing system. In some embodiments, the shoe may experience no visible or other damage in being retrofit or adapted to include the lacing system. For example, in many of the embodiments described herein, the lacing system is removable without altering or damaging the shoe. This can allow the system to be transferred from a relatively old and/or worn out shoe to a relatively new and/or clean shoe. This also allows for a shoe that is retrofit with a lacing system to be subsequently fit with conventional shoelace, or another tightening device, without having visible or readily detectable signs or indications of previously being retrofit with the lacing system.
In some embodiments, adapting the shoe or other apparel includes utilizing the lace of the shoe or other apparel in a manner so that the lace is able to be used as or with a guide for the lacing system. Utilizing the shoe's lace may include inserting or looping the lace through existing eyelets or webbing of the shoe or other apparel in a manner that creates a loop through which the lace of the lacing system may be inserted. In other embodiments, a reel based mechanism may be coupled with the shoe or other apparel via stitching, rivets, adhesive bonding, and the like. Various embodiments of adapting existing shoes and/or other apparel to include one or more components of the lacing system are described herein below.
Referring now to the figures,
With reference to
The spool member 216 can be disposed within the spool housing 220 such that the spool member 216 is rotatable about an axis 228 with respect to the spool housing 220. The lace 206 can be secured to the spool member 216 such that when the spool member 216 rotates in a tightening direction (shown by arrow A) the lace 206 is drawn into the spool housing 220 and is wound around the channel 230 formed in the spool member 216, and when the spool member 216 rotates in a loosening direction (shown by arrow B) the lace 206 unwinds from the channel 230 of the spool member 216 and exits the spool housing 220 via the lace holes (e.g., 226a). The spool member 216 can also include spool teeth 232 formed thereon. It will be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be modified such that rotation in the direction shown by arrow B will tighten the lacing. In this particular embodiment, the knob member 218 may be raised axially to disengage from spool 230 to allow the spool to freewheel in direction B in order to release the lace. In other embodiments, rotation of the knob member 218 in the direction shown by arrow A may loosen the lacing system. In a specific embodiment, the knob member 218 may be rotated be a specific amount (e.g., ¼ to ½ turn) in a loosening direction (e.g., as shown by arrow B) to loosen the lacing system. Other user interfaces are possible for tightening, releasing, or adjusting lace tension.
The knob member 218 can be attached to the spool housing 220 such that the knob member 218 can rotate about the axis 228 with respect to the spool housing 220. The knob member 218 can include knob teeth 234 that can be configured to mate with the spool teeth 232 to couple the knob member 218 to the spool member 216 such that rotation of the knob member 218 in the tightening direction causes the spool member 216 to also rotate in the tightening direction. In some embodiments, the rotation of the knob member 218 in the loosening direction can also cause the spool member 216 to rotate in the loosening direction. The knob member 218 can also include one or more pawls 236 which can be biased radially outwardly so as to mate with the ratchet teeth 224. The pawls 236 and ratchet teeth 224 can be configured so that the ratchet teeth 224 can displace the pawls 236 radially inwardly when the knob member 218 is rotated in the tightening direction, thereby allowing the knob member 218 to rotate in the tightening direction. The pawls 236 and the ratchet teeth 224 can also be configured so that they engage one another when force is applied to twist the knob member 218 in the loosening direction, thereby preventing the knob member 218 from rotating in the loosening direction. In other arrangements, the ratchet teeth 224 may be oriented axially to engage knob pawl members (not shown) that are correspondingly arranged to mate axially.
Thus, a reel assembly such as reel assembly 204 can provide a one-way tightening system configured to allow the user to rotate the knob member 218 in the tightening direction, which causes the spool member 216 to rotate in the tightening direction, which in turn causes the lace 206 to be drawn into the spool housing 220 via the lace holes (e.g., 226a). As the lace 206 is drawn into the spool housing 220 the lacing system 200 can tighten, causing the lace guide 208 to be drawn in the direction toward the reel assembly 204 (shown by arrow C in
The embodiments described herein generally describe embodiments in which a shoe or other apparel is retrofit to include one or more components of the lacing system, such as those described above in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the rivets 508 may be applied using a rivet gun, or in more simple cases a hammer or other object may be used to apply rivets 508. In other embodiments, rivets 508 may be replaced with other fastening mechanisms, such as a self-tapping screw, a nut and bolt assembly, a binder post screw, or any other mechanical fastener known in the art.
In some embodiments, the reel assembly may include a plurality of apertures through which a clip is inserted. The tongue of the shoe may also include a plurality of slits or holes through which the clip is inserted to couple the reel assembly to the tongue. Although not shown, in some embodiments the eyestay of the shoe may similarly include a plurality of slits through which the clip is inserted to couple the reel assembly to the eyestay of the shoe. The clip and the reel assembly may couple the reel assembly with the shoe to prevent or minimize rotation of the reel assembly as the knob is operated. Other clip shapes could be used between shoe apertures and reel/spool housing receptacles.
Referring now to
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the reel assembly 534 may be removably coupled with the clip body 533 so that the reel assembly 534 may be attached to clip body 533 after the clip body 533 is coupled with the eyestay of shoe 532 and/or so the reel assembly 534 may be removed from the clip body 533, such as for replacement, repair, cleaning, and the like. In other embodiments, a clip body 533 may be used to couple one or more guides 536 with the eyestay of shoe 532 and/or may be used as guides for the lace of the lacing system.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a locking tab (not shown) may be used to fasten a reel assembly to the shoe's tongue or to any other portion of the shoe. The reel assembly may include a slot or recess into which the locking tab is slid. A pair of fastening members may extend laterally across the slot such that when the locking tab is inserted within the slot, the fastening members holds or secures the tab in place. The shoe's tongue may also include a slot (e.g., slits cut into the fabric material of the tongue) through which the locking tab is inserted. The tongue's slot may be positionable between the fastening member of the reel assembly to allow the locking tab to be slid into the reel assembly's slot and the tongue's slot to secure the reel assembly to the shoe. Uncoupling the reel assembly from the shoe may be done in the reverse order.
The usage of rivets, bolts, and other mechanical fasteners, may be preferred when coupling a reel assembly to an eyestay because such components more fixedly couple the reel assembly to the shoe and thereby prevent rotation of the reel assembly relative to the shoe. Fixedly coupling the reel assembly to the shoe prevents reel torqueing and/or provides an improved user interface by providing a structure for the component (e.g., reel assembly) that a user interacts with. The structure may be provided by the reel assembly itself, by another component (e.g., the elongated tongue guides described herein), or the shoe via the fixed coupling. The relatively rigid coupling further prevents the reel assembly from moving or biasing relative to the shoe. These mechanical fasteners may likewise prevent the reel assembly from being pulled through the fabric of the shoe. Positioning and mounting of the reel assembly about the tongue may be preferred for higher power applications since the forces applied to the reel assembly by the lace are essentially equalized when the lace is positioned on opposite sides of the reel assembly.
Referring now to
As shown in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, an attachment member 618 (e.g., barrel, plug, and the like) may be coupled with a bottom portion of elongated tongue panel 612. The attachment member 618 may be couplable with the shoe, such as by inserting a barrel or plug through an eyelet 619 of the shoe. The attachment member 618 may be attached to the elongated tongue panel 612 via second shot molding of a low durometer TPU or TPE material, adhesive bonding, mechanically fastening, or using any other method known in the art. Attachment member 618 may be coupled to the elongated tongue panel 612 in a manner that allows the attachment member 618 to be pulled laterally from the elongated tongue panel 612 toward the shoe and coupled therewith.
Referring now to
As shown in
The bayonet 623 allows a relatively rigid material housing to be used for the reel assembly 624 and coupled with the elongated tongue panel 629, which may be made of a relatively softer material. In some embodiments, the bayonet 623 may be made of a different material than the elongated tongue panel 629. For example, the bayonet 623 may be made of a relatively hard and rigid material with the elongated tongue panel 629 is made of a relatively soft material. The bayonet 623 may be coupled with the elongated tongue panel 629 via a snap fit, two shot molding process, adhesive bonding, insert molding, stitching, mechanical fastening (e.g., riveting), and the like. The two component bayonet 623 and elongated tongue panel 629 may provide added flexibility, weight savings or reduction, increased breathability, and the like. The two components may also allow the elongated tongue panel 629 and bayonet to be different colors so as to match a design of the shoe.
Referring now to
The elongate panel 1220 includes a support or stabilizer member or members 1228 (hereinafter support member 1228) that anchor a bottom portion of the elongated panel 1220 relative to the shoe. The support member 1228 extends roughly orthogonally from the distal or bottom portion of the elongate panel's body 1202 and is configured to releasable couple with opposing sides of the shoe's tongue. By coupling the support member 1228 with opposing sides of the shoe, the support member 1228 stabilizes the elongate panel 1220, which improves the fit of the panel 1220 and/or reduces the time in retrofitting the shoe. The support member 1228 stabilizes the elongate panel 1220 relative to the shoe by preventing or limiting movement of the distal or bottom portion of the panel 1220 relative to the shoe. For example, rotational and/or translational movement of the distal or bottom portion of the panel 1220 is limited or prevented as the reel assembly's knob is grasped and rotated by a user.
To couple the support member 1228 with the opposing sides of the shoe, the support member 1228 includes one or more openings 1230 through which guide members for the lace are threaded and/or through which the lace is threaded. For example,
The support member 1228 coupled with the elongate panel 1220 so as to adjustable longitudinally relative to the panel 1220. As used herein the term longitudinally means in a direction measured from the upper portion of the panel 1220 to the lower portion of the panel. To enable longitudinal adjustment of the support member 1228, the elongate panel 1220 may include a channel 1232 that includes one or more positioning apertures 1234. The support member 1228 includes a knob 1236 that can be inserted through one of the positioning apertures 1234 to couple the support member 1228 with the elongate panel 1220. In some embodiments, the knob 1236 may be oval or non-circular in shape so that rotation of the knob 1236 within the positioning aperture 1234 locks or coupled the components together. For example, the knob 1236 and support member 1228 may be aligned with the body 1202 of panel 1220 to allow the knob 1236 to be inserted within a positioning aperture 1234. The support member 1228 and knob 1236 may then be rotated (e.g., 90 degrees) so that the knob 1236 engages with the positioning aperture 1234 and prevents or hinders withdrawal of the knob 1236 from the positioning aperture 1234.
As shown in
Unlike the previously described support members, the support member 1228 of
Referring now to
The elongate panels of
It should be realized that the use of the terms unrecognizable, not readily detectable, not readily visible, and the like as used herein in describing the coupling of the tensioning mechanism with shoes does not imply that the coupling is entirely undetectable. For example, the elongate panel and/or components thereof (e.g., reel assembly, support member, etc.) may slightly scuff or scar the shoe after an extended period of time and/or use. These scuffs or scars may be detectable upon close inspection of the shoe, but are mainly unrelated to any damage the shoe may experience during the actual coupling of the tensioning mechanism with the shoe. The terms unrecognizable, not readily detectable, not readily visible, and the like as used herein refer more to how the shoe is not significantly damaged, modified, and/or altered during coupling, which would produce readily detectable signs or indications of coupling. Significant damaging, modification, and/or alteration of the shoe readily occurs in conventional retrofitting processes, which involve puncturing the shoe, stitching, adhesive bonding, heat pressing or welding, and the like. These actions typically change the structure of the shoe to some degree and leave or result in signs or indications of the damage or alterations. In contrast, the elongate panels of
The elongated tongue panels described herein may include plastic members made of a relatively low friction material so as to create a lower friction surface upon which the lace of the lacing system slides. This may allow the lace to more easily be pulled across the shoe's tongue and facilitate in closing the opposing sides of the shoe with the lacing system. The elongated tongue panels may also press downwardly against the shoe's tongue as the lacing system is tensioned to reduce “puffiness”, or in other words, reduce portions or areas of the tongue that protrude outwardly against the lacing system's lace during tensioning thereof. As described herein, the elongated tongue panels are generally free-floating atop the surface of the shoe's tongue. In other embodiments, however, elongated tongue panels may be fixedly fastened to the shoe's tongue, such as by sewing or adhesively bonding the elongated tongue panel to the shoe's tongue. In still other embodiments, fasteners may be used to couple the elongated tongue panel to the shoe's tongue, such as self-tapping screws, nut and bolt assemblies, double sticky sided tape, various plugs, iron-on adhesive materials, and the like.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a strap may be coupled with the reel assembly or with a bayonet or housing that releasably couples with the reel assembly. The strap may include a buckle, such as a ladder lock buckle, that allows the size of a looped region of the strap to be adjusted by pulling the strap through buckle. To couple the reel assembly with the shoe, and specifically the shoe's tongue, the strap may be wrapped around the shoe's tongue and pulled through the buckle until the looped region substantially constricts about the shoe's tongue. In some embodiments, the looped region of the strap may include a backing component that is positioned against a back surface of the reel assembly's housing. The backing component may be positioned against the outer surface of the shoe's tongue to provide a relatively rigid surface and prevent the shoe's tongue from collapsing as the strap is pulled through the buckle and constricted about the tongue.
Referring now to
As shown in
The lace 653 of the lacing system is connected to the reel assembly 654 and guides 656 such that the reel assembly 654 is indirectly coupled with the shoe 652 in a free floating manner. The lace 653 is coupled to reel assembly 654 by being inserted through one or more channels 659 positioned in the reel assembly's housing. In one embodiment, the lace extends from the spool of reel assembly 654 and through a plurality of guides 656 that are coupled with an upper region of the shoe 652. The lace 653 then passes through the channel 659 of reel assembly 654 and through a plurality of guides 656 that are coupled with a lower region of shoe 652. The lace 653 terminates at the housing and/or spool of reel assembly 654. In this arrangement, reel assembly 654 is positioned between the upper and lower regions of shoe 652 and free floats at a roughly central point relative to shoe 652. The arrangement of
The distal ends of the coupling member 734 and guide 732 may include a lumen that is configured to align coaxially as the distal ends of the coupling member 734 and guide 732 are positioned adjacent one another. The lacing system's lace may be inserted through the lumens of coupling member 734 and guide 732 so that the aligned lumens function as a channel to guide the lace as described herein. When the lace is inserted through the lumens of coupling member 734 and guide 732, the lace may function to maintain the coupling member 734 and guide 732 in the locked arrangement. The lumens may have an arcuate or curved configuration and/or flared openings to reduce any potential wear and/or stress on lace inserted there through.
Referring now to
In
In some embodiments, the fabric ring 806 may be used to create a single webbing loop or a pair of webbing loops in a single eyelet of the shoe. For example, the fabric ring 806 may be inserted through the eyelet so that the opposing ends 809 each form a webbing loop through which the lace is inserted. In another embodiment, one end of the fabric ring 806 may be positioned over the eyelet and the opposing end 809 may be pulled through the eyelet to form a single webbing loop. As the lace is tensioned, the fabric ring is locked into place relative to the eyelet.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the portion of the webbing loop 838 extending beyond the outer surface of the shoe may be folded back upon itself by making a ½ turn to create a triangular webbing guide for the lace of the lacing system. The triangular webbing guide formed in this manner may be especially useful in directing the lace directly across the shoe's tongue at 90 degrees and/or in directing the lace longitudinally along the shoe's eyestay toward an adjacent webbing guide. The triangular webbing guide may also provide a relatively smooth radius for directing the lace from the longitudinal direction along the eyestay toward the lateral direction across the shoe's tongue and thereby reduces wear on the lace. Such triangular webbing guides have been found to provide reduced lace wear and lace management and/or directional characteristics. For example, when the lace crosses the shoe at roughly 90 degrees, the lace's force in closing the shoe is not reduced as typically occurs with angled lace crossings, especially large lace crossing angles.
Referring now to
To prevent or greatly restrict the guide 850 from being pulled through the eyelet of the shoe, the base member 856 has a larger area or “footprint” than the upper member 854. Stated differently, the fabric material strip of the base member 856 may have a shorter longitudinal length than a longitudinal length of the upper member 854's fabric material strip. As such, as shown in
In some embodiments, the base member 856 can have a longitudinal length Z of approximately 6-20 mm, and more commonly 10-15 mm, so that each flange 858 (i.e., each end) has a longitudinal length of between 3 and 6 mm, and more commonly 3 and 5 mm. Flange or end 858 dimensions smaller than 3 mm may be too small and weak to prevent the guide 850 from being pulled through the eyelet while flange or end dimensions larger than about 5 or 6 mm may result in a portion of the flange or end 858 protruding beyond an edge of the eyestay and being visible.
The upper member 854 and/or loop 860 may extend from the base member 856 by a height Y of approximately 8-12 mm. If the height dimensions Y of the loop 860 are less than about 8 mm, there may be an insufficient loop size to thread the lace 852 through. In contrast, if the height dimensions Y are greater than about 12 mm, the loop 860 may contact an adjacent loop 860 resulting in a poor function of guide 850 and/or poor aesthetics. The above described dimensions Z and Y have been found to be ideal for enabling the loop 860 to protrude from the surface of the shoe or other article sufficiently to enable easily coupling with the lace 852 while minimizing the size of the guide 850 and allowing the base member 856 to remain hidden and concealed beneath the shoe's upper. It should be realized, however, that these dimension may be varied depending on need, functionality, appearance, and/or any other consideration.
The upper member 854 is attached to the base member 856 so that a portion of the loop directly adjacent the base member 856 forms a neck or gap 862. The neck or gap 862 may have a width of 3-5 mm, and more commonly about 3.5-4.5 mm. The width of the neck 862 should be selected to maintain a flange 858 length of between about 3-6 mm or 3-5 mm. In selecting an appropriate width X of the neck 862 and an overall length Z of the base member 856, the following equation may be used to result in a flange widths (i.e., width of 858) of 3-5 mm: ½(Z)−½(X)=3-5 mm. The above dimensions may result in a loop 860 have a loop surface area of between about 24 and 60 mm2, and more commonly between about 32 and 48 mm2. A loop having a surface area as described above has been found to be ideal for enabling the loop 860 to be easily inserted within a shoe's eyelet while also providing a sufficient amount of loop through which the lace may be inserted and while minimizing the amount of loop extending from the eyelet.
As shown in
In some embodiments, a method of forming a guide member for routing a lace along a lace path of a shoe includes providing a base member that is sufficiently rigid so as to restrict the base member from being pulled through an eyelet of the shoe and attaching an upper member to the base member to form a loop for routing the lace after the lace is inserted through the upper member's loop. The upper member is sufficiently flexible so as to be positioned through the eyelet of the shoe. When the upper member is inserted through the eyelet, the upper member is positioned on one side of the eyelet while the base member is positioned on an opposite side of the eyelet.
As described herein, the upper member may be a fabric material strip having opposing ends that are coupled together to form a loop and the base member may be a rigid material having a pair of slots through which the fabric material is slidingly disposed. In other embodiments, the upper member may be a fabric material strip and the base member may be a fabric material strip. The base member's fabric material strip may have a shorter longitudinal length than a longitudinal length of the upper member's fabric material strip. In such instances, the method may also include coupling opposing ends of the fabric material strips with a central portion of the upper member's fabric material strip extending roughly orthogonally from the base member to form the loop. The coupled opposing ends may form flanges that extend roughly orthogonally from the upper material's loop, each flange having a width of between 3-5 mm. The upper member may be attached to the base member so that a portion of the loop directly adjacent the base member includes a neck or gap having a width of between 0.5-3 mm, and more commonly 1-2 mm. The upper member's loop may extend above the base member by between about 8-12 mm. In some embodiments, the method may further include positioning a backing material atop the base member after the upper member is positioned through the eyelet and coupling the backing material with the article to conceal the base member thereunder.
Referring now to
Referring specifically
In some embodiments, the shoelace 904 may traverse across the shoe's tongue at a distal end of the eyestay and the above process may be repeated for one or more of the shoelace guides 902 positioned along the opposite eyestay of the shoe so that a single shoelace 904 is used to form essentially all the lacing system's guides. In other embodiments, separate shoelaces, or a combination of shoelaces, may be run along each of the eyestays so that more than one shoelace is used to form the webbing guides described above.
In some embodiments, the proximal end 905a and the distal end 905b of the shoelace guide 902 may be replaced by individual eyelets (not shown) positioned longitudinally along the eyestay, and the webbing loops 906 may be created relative to the eyelets 905a and 905b. For example, the shoelace 904 may be run longitudinally along the eyestay, through a distal eyelet 905b, and looped around to and through a proximal eyelet 905a to create a webbing loop 906 relative to the proximal and distal eyelets, 905a and 905b. In some embodiments, a portion of the webbing loops 906 may be folded backward to create triangular webbing guides 907 as described above. As also shown in
Referring now to
The above process may be repeated each time an eyelet 915 is encountered so that a shoelace loop is created adjacent to each or some of the eyelets 915 as desired. As with the shoelace configuration described in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the shoelace may be run longitudinally along the eyestay of the shoe until an eyelet is encountered. The shoelace may then be inserted through the eyelet and wrapped twice there around to create two shoelace loops that are used as webbing guides for the lace of lacing system. The shoelace may then be reinserted into the eyelet and run longitudinally along the eyestay to an adjacent eyelet. The above described process may be repeated for one or all of the eyelets positioned along the eyestay to create webbing guides for the lacing system's lace as desired. In some embodiments, a single lace may be run along each eyestay to create all of the webbing guides for the lacing system, or multiple laces may be used as desired.
Each shoelace loop of the two shoelace loops created by the above mentioned process may function as a single webbing guide in a dual or paired webbing guide arrangement. For example, each eyelet may have one shoelace loop that functions with a shoelace loop of a proximally positioned eyelet to form a dual or paired webbing guide arrangement therewith, while the second shoelace loop functions with a shoelace loop of a distally positioned eyelet to form a dual or paired webbing guide arrangement therewith. In this manner the number of lace crossings across the shoe's tongue may be increased such as to increase the tension applied by the lacing system. In some embodiments, one or more of the eyelets may only have a single shoelace loop so that the overall lacing system structure includes a combination of single and double shoelace loop configurations.
Referring now to
In this arrangement, the looped portions 946 of the second lace path 948 form triangular webbing guides that direct the lace laterally across the shoe's tongue and longitudinally along the eyestay as described herein. In some embodiments, the lace 944 may be looped around a distal eyelet 945 of the eyestay to create a shoelace loop as previously described.
In some embodiments, a single shoelace 944 may be run longitudinally along both eyestays of the shoe twice in order to create both the first lace path 942 and the second lace path 948. In other embodiments two or more laces may be used to create the first lace path 942 and second lace path 948 as desired. The lace paths and webbing guides created in accordance with the description of
Referring now to
In another embodiment, a frame may be configured to be fit over the outer surface of the shoe. The retrofit frame may include an oval-shaped main body that wraps around the shoe from near the toe region of the shoe to the heel of the shoe. The retrofit frame may also include one or more straps that extend from the frame's main body lace and that fit under the shoe's sole to prevent the retrofit frame from being pulled off the shoe. The retrofit frame and the strap may be designed to allow the shoe's toe region to be inserted between the strap and an upper portion of the retrofit frame. In some embodiments, to more fixedly couple the retrofit frame about the shoe, the lace may be inserted through one or more eyelets of the shoe. In other embodiments, a shoelace may be run along the eyestay to create one or more webbing guides through which lace is inserted to fixedly couple the retrofit frame about the shoe.
In some embodiments, the frame of
In another embodiment, a panel 1110 may include an aperture 1112 that is sized larger than a top portion of the reel assembly 1116, but sized smaller than the flange portion 1114 of the reel assembly. The reel assembly 1116 may be inserted within the aperture 1112 so that the top portion extends beyond a top surface of the panel 1110 while the flange 1114 is positioned behind the panel 1110. A top surface of the flange 1114 (not shown) may be adhesively bonded a bottom surface of the panel 1110 to affix the reel assembly thereto. In other embodiments, the flange 1114 may be stitched or mechanically fastened to the panel 1110.
In some embodiments, either of the panels, 1102 and 1110, maybe fabric or plastic components of the shoe, such as a tongue or heel portion of the shoe. The aperture 1112 or panels 1108 may be cut into the shoe material to allow the flange of the reel assembly to be coupled with the shoe. In other embodiments, the panels, 1102 or 1110, may be fabric or plastic components separate from the shoe that may be subsequently mounted or coupled with the shoe, such as via adhesive bonding, stitching, mechanically fastening, heat welding, and the like.
Referring now to
As shown in
Any of the aforementioned retrofitting components may be manufactured and sold as a part of a kit that users may purchase to retrofit their own shoes. In other embodiments, the retrofitting may be done by one or more individuals, such as in a designated booth, before a sporting event or as part of a designated event or activity. In other embodiments, the lace used with the retrofit system may be color-coded or otherwise configured to indicate a durability of the lace and/or a specific use of the lace (i.e., use of the lace for a given activity). The reel assembly and/or guides may likewise be color-coded or otherwise configured to indicate a durability of these components and/or a specific use thereof. The user may select an appropriate lace, reel assembly, and/or guide for a given activity and retrofit their shoes to include appropriate lacing system components. In some embodiments, colored lace may be selected to match, complement, or contrast with the colors of the shoe.
In some embodiments, a shoe may come with components of the lacing system prebuilt into the shoe. For example, a bayonet or housing may be prebuilt into the shoe to allow the reel assembly to be easily snapped into place or otherwise coupled with the shoe via the bayonet or housing. Similarly, a guide may likewise be snapped or otherwise coupled into place via a bayonet or other component that is prebuilt into the shoe. In such embodiments, the components of the lacing system (e.g., the reel assembly, guides, and/or lace) may be manufactured and sold in packages based on a usage or application of the lacing system. For example, the reel assembly, guide, and/or lace packages may be designated as “dirt usage”, “road usage”, “water usage”, and the like. The reel assembly, guides, and lace sold in such packages may be designed specifically for such applications and the user may be able to quickly and easily swap the components of the lacing system based on a usage of the shoe.
In still other embodiments, the shoe may come with prefabricated holes punched into and/or adjacent the tongue or eyestay so as to allow the components of the lacing system (e.g., real assemblies, guides, and the like) to be coupled with the shoe. In other embodiments, magnets or metal pieces may be positioned in or adjacent to the tongue or eyestay to allow coupling of the lacing system components therewith.
Some existing shoes contain various combination of webbing guides, plastic guides, metal guides, and the like. In such shoes, some existing lace guide features may be used in combination with the techniques described herein.
Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those of skill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, a number of well-known processes and elements have not been described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention.
Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that each intervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. Each smaller range between any stated value or intervening value in a stated range and any other stated or intervening value in that stated range is encompassed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range, and each range where either, neither or both limits are included in the smaller ranges is also encompassed within the invention, subject to any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the stated range includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either or both of those included limits are also included.
As used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a process” includes a plurality of such processes and reference to “the device” includes reference to one or more devices and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art, and so forth.
Also, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including,” and “includes” when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/506,971 by Lovett et al., entitled “METHODS AND DEVICES FOR RETROFITTING FOOTWEAR TO INCLUDE A REEL BASED CLOSURE SYSTEM,” filed Jul. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/390,259 by Lovett et al., entitled “METHODS AND DEVICES FOR RETROFITTING FOOTWEAR TO INCLUDE A REEL BASED CLOSURE SYSTEM,” filed Dec. 23, 2016, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 10,342,294 which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/242,629 by Lovett et al., entitled “METHODS AND DEVICES FOR RETROFITTING FOOTWEAR TO INCLUDE A REEL BASED CLOSURE SYSTEM,” filed Apr. 1, 2014, now issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,532,626, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/807,251 by Soderberg et al., entitled “METHODS AND DEVICES FOR RETROFITTING FOOTWEAR TO INCLUDE A REEL BASED CLOSURE SYSTEM,” filed Apr. 1, 2013, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, for all purposes, as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61807251 | Apr 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16506971 | Jul 2019 | US |
| Child | 18351412 | US | |
| Parent | 15390259 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Child | 16506971 | US | |
| Parent | 14242629 | Apr 2014 | US |
| Child | 15390259 | US |
