U.S. patent application number 12/233070 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-22 for lace system for footwear.
This patent application is currently assigned to The Burton Corporation. Invention is credited to Christopher M. Doyle, Florian Lang, Maurizio Molin, Greg Reagan.
Application Number | 20090019734 12/233070 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34465804 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090019734 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reagan; Greg ; et
al. |
January 22, 2009 |
LACE SYSTEM FOR FOOTWEAR
Abstract
A snowboard boot incorporating techniques for making the process
of tightening and loosening the laces of a snowboard boot more
convenient for the wearer is disclosed. The snowboard boot may be
provided with at least two independent lacing zones, the tensions
of which are separately adjustable by the wearer. The zones may be
secured by pulling on two laces, each of which tightens one of the
two independent lacing zones. This arrangement allows the wearer to
simultaneously tighten each zone, providing the wearer with the
"feel" as though he or she is tightening a conventional single
lacing zone snowboard boot. The laces may be simultaneously, yet
independently secured by a lace lock at the upper and/or forward
region of the snowboard boot. Slack may be created to facilitate
loosening of the snowboard boot and easy removal of a foot from the
snowboard boot by unhooking the lace from the lace guide without a
corresponding distance of lace traveling through the lace lock. A
release strap, graspable by the wearer, facilitates unhooking the
lace.
Inventors: |
Reagan; Greg; (Essex,
VT) ; Doyle; Christopher M.; (Bolton Valley, VT)
; Lang; Florian; (Colchester, VT) ; Molin;
Maurizio; (Venice, IT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOLF GREENFIELD & SACKS, P.C.
600 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BOSTON
MA
02210-2206
US
|
Assignee: |
The Burton Corporation
Burlington
VT
|
Family ID: |
34465804 |
Appl. No.: |
12/233070 |
Filed: |
September 18, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12133677 |
Jun 5, 2008 |
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12233070 |
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11286956 |
Nov 23, 2005 |
7401423 |
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12133677 |
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10732834 |
Dec 10, 2003 |
7281341 |
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11286956 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 1/003 20130101;
A43C 1/06 20130101; A43B 11/00 20130101; A43C 11/008 20130101; A43C
11/14 20130101; A43C 7/00 20130101; A43B 3/0031 20130101; A43C 3/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/115 |
International
Class: |
A43B 5/04 20060101
A43B005/04 |
Claims
1. A snowboard boot comprising: a snowboard boot body; a lace
coupled to the snowboard boot body and adapted to be tensioned to
tighten the snowboard boot body at least about a foot of a wearer;
and a lace recoil device to which the lace is attached, the lace
recoil device adapted to take up excess lace.
2. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace recoil
device comprises a self-winding spool about which the excess lace
is wound.
3. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace recoil
device comprises a lock constructed and arranged to lock the
lace.
4. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, further comprising a
lace lock engageable with the lace to hold the lace to tighten the
boot body.
5. The snowboard boot according to claim 3, further comprising a
lace lock engageable with the lace to hold the lace to tighten the
boot body.
6. The snowboard boot according to claim 4, wherein the lace lock
is mounted to the snowboard boot body.
7. The snowboard boot according to claim 5, wherein the lace lock
is mounted to the snowboard boot body.
8. The snowboard boot according to claim 6, wherein the lace lock
comprises a lace cleat comprising a having opposing walls with
locking teeth formed on each wall, the walls converging to form a
wedge-shaped channel, the channel and locking teeth cooperating to
hold a portion of the lace within the body of the cleat.
8. The snowboard boot according to claim 6, wherein the boot body
comprises a tongue opening disposed in a shin-to-toe direction and
a tongue disposed within the opening, wherein the cleat is mounted
to the boot body such that each wedge-shaped channel is
substantially parallel to the tongue opening.
9. The snowboard boot according to claim 7, wherein the lace lock
comprises a lace cleat comprising a having opposing walls with
locking teeth formed on each wall, the wails converging to form a
wedge-shaped channel, the channel and locking teeth cooperating to
hold a portion of the lace within the body of the cleat.
10. The snowboard boot according to claim 9, wherein the boot body
comprises a tongue opening disposed in a shin-to-toe direction and
a tongue disposed within the opening, wherein the cleat is mounted
to the boot body such that each wedge-shaped channel is
substantially parallel to the tongue opening.
11. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace
comprises a free end, wherein the free end is anchored to the lace
recoil device.
12. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace
comprises a free end, wherein the free end is anchored to the
self-winding spool.
13. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace is
laced in a lacing pattern characterized in that the lace follows a
meandering path and does not cross over itself.
14. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the lace
comprises an anchor end attached to the snowboard boot adjacent a
toe-area.
15. The snowboard boot according to claim 1, wherein the snowboard
boot body further comprises a lower, foot region adapted to cover a
foot of a wearer, and an upper, shin region adapted to cover at
least a portion of a shin of the wearer, the snowboard boot further
comprising a lower lacing zone comprising a lace adapted to tighten
the lower region and an upper lacing zone comprising a lace adapted
to tighten the upper region, wherein a lace recoil device is
attached to the lace of each lacing zone.
16. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, wherein the lace of
the upper zone and the lace of the lower zone may be tightened
independently to achieve different levels of tightness in the upper
lacing zone and the lower lacing zone.
17. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, further comprising a
lace lock to hold the lace to tighten the boot body wherein the at
least one lace lock comprises a first lace lock engageable with the
lace of the upper lacing zone and adapted to secure the lace of the
upper zone and a second lace lock engageable with the lace of the
lower lacing zone and adapted to secure the lace of the lower
zone.
18. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, further comprising an
indicator to indicate to the wearer that a lace corresponds to a
particular lacing zone.
19. The snowboard boot according to claim 18, wherein the indicator
comprises a first indicator on the lace of the lower zone, wherein
the first indicator comprises the word "LOWER", and a second
indicator on the lace of the upper zone, wherein the second
indicator comprises the word "UPPER".
20. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, wherein the lace of
the upper zone and the lace of the second zone are sequentially or
simultaneously securable at the upper region.
21. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, wherein each zone is
tightened with a separate lace.
22. The snowboard boot according to claim 15, wherein the lace of
the lower zone has a portion that is disposed in the upper region
and wherein the lace of the upper zone has a portion that is
disposed in the upper region.
23. A method of tightening a snowboard boot, the snowboard boot
comprising a snowboard boot body, a lace coupled to the snowboard
boot body, and a lace recoil device to which the lace is attached,
the method comprising: drawing the lace to tighten the boot about
at least a foot of a wearer; and allowing the lace recoil device to
recoil to take up excess lace.
24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the lace recoil
device comprises a lock, wherein the method further comprises
locking the lace by the lock of the recoil device.
25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the snowboard boot
further comprises a lace lock, wherein the method further comprises
securing the lace by the lace lock.
26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the snowboard boot
further comprises a lace lock, wherein the method further comprises
securing the lace by the lace lock.
27. The method according to claim 23, wherein the snowboard boot
comprises a lower lacing zone having a lace, the lower lacing zone
cooperating with a lower region of the snowboard boot body, and an
upper lacing zone having a lace, the upper lacing zone cooperating
with an upper region of the snowboard boot body, the method further
comprising: drawing the lace of the lower lacing zone in a
tightening direction to tighten the lower region of the boot body;
and drawing the lace of the upper zone in a tightening direction to
tighten the upper region of the boot body.
28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising tightening
the upper and lower lacing zones independently of each other to
achieve different levels of tightness in the upper and lower
regions, respectively.
29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the snowboard boot
further comprises at least one lace lock mounted in the upper
region, wherein the method further comprises securing the lace of
the upper and lower lacing zones at the upper region of the boot
body.
30. A snowboard boot comprising: a snowboard boot body; a lace lock
mounted to the snowboard boot body; a lace coupled to the snowboard
boot body and adapted to be tensioned to tighten the snowboard boot
body at least about a foot of a wearer, the lace being secured by
the lace lock after the snowboard boot body is tightened about the
foot of the wearer to maintain tension in the lace, the lace having
an excess lace portion extending beyond the lace lock; and a lace
recoil device to which the lace is attached, the lace recoil device
adapted to take up the excess lace portion.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation and claims the benefit
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120 of prior application Ser. No.
12/133,677, filed Jun. 5, 2008, titled LACE SYSTEM FOR FOOTWEAR,
which in turn is a continuation of prior application Ser. No.
11/286,956, filed Nov. 23, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,401,423,
titled LACE SYSTEM FOR FOOTWEAR which in turn is a continuation of
prior application Ser. No. 10/732,834, filed Dec. 10, 2003, now
U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,341, titled LACE SYSTEM FOR FOOTWEAR, each of
which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] This invention relates generally to tightening arrangements
for articles of footwear, and more particularly to lacing systems
for boots, including snowboard boots.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Boots conventionally comprise a lace threaded back and forth
through the medial and lateral sides of the boot. Typically, the
lace has two free ends protruding from the top portion of the boot
which a wearer can pull to tighten the boot around his or her foot
and leg.
[0004] The same is true of many snowboard boots, particularly
snowboard boots of the "soft" variety. Soft boots, as their name
suggests, typically are comprised of softer materials (e.g.,
leather, fabric, and/or thin plastic components) that are more
flexible than the relatively rigid, typically molded plastic shell
of a hard boot. Soft boots are generally more comfortable and
easier to walk in than hard boots, and are often favored by riders
who engage in recreational, "freestyle" or trick-oriented
snowboarding. Tightening a soft boot typically involves pulling on
both ends of the lace and tying the lace in a knot or bow.
[0005] Frequently, the lace is sufficiently long, and threaded back
and forth sufficiently many times, that tightening the lace merely
by pulling on its free ends can be difficult due to friction
between the lace and the portions of the boot (e.g., eyelets or
lace guides) through which the lace is guided. Accordingly, a
wearer often must tighten the lace progressively from the bottom to
the top of the boot, culminating with the wearer pulling on the
free ends of the lace. Despite these efforts, the wearer may still
experience an undesirable tightness and discomfort in part of the
boot. To address this concern, boots having "zone lacing" have been
developed in which separate areas or "zones" of the boot may be
independently tightened so that a wearer can adjust the level of
tightness desired in a particular area. However, such lacing
systems lack a convenient arrangement for tightening the laces.
[0006] Also, prior lacing systems, whether incorporating "zone
lacing" or not, typically include laces having long free ends to
permit grasping, pulling and tying the lace. The free ends can
become untied and hang loose from the boot. Lacing systems with
short lace ends would be beneficial; however, striking a balance
between a sufficiently short lace and a one having enough length to
provide slack facilitating removal of the boot is challenging.
SUMMARY
[0007] One illustrative embodiment is directed to a boot having a
boot body with a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a wearer
and an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a shin
of the wearer. The boot also includes a first lacing zone
comprising a first lace adapted to tighten a first region of the
boot and a second lacing zone comprising a second lace adapted to
tighten a second region of the boot. The first and second laces
have portions that are disposed at the upper region. Both the first
lace and the second lace are simultaneously securable at the upper
region of the boot.
[0008] Another illustrative embodiment is directed to s boot having
a boot body with a lower region adapted to cover a foot of a
wearer, an upper region adapted to cover at least a portion of a
shin of the wearer, and a rear side that faces backward when the
boot is worn by the wearer. The boot also includes a first lacing
zone comprising a first lace adapted to tighten a first region of
the boot and a second lacing zone comprising a second lace adapted
to tighten a second region of the boot, The first and second laces
have portions that are disposed at the upper region. Both the first
lace and the second lace are simultaneously securable at a location
forward of the rear side to completely secure the boot body to the
wearer.
[0009] A further illustrative embodiment is directed to a boot
having a boot body, a plurality of lace guides coupled to the boot
body, and at least one lace guided by the lace guides. At least one
of the lace guides includes a lace hook and the at least one lace
is adapted to be dislodged from the hook. The boot further includes
at least one lace lock engageable with the at least one lace so
that the boot may be tightened to the wearer, and a release strap
coupled to the at least one lace. The release strap is graspable to
remove the at least one lace from the hook to so as to create slack
in the at least one lace.
[0010] Another illustrative embodiment is directed to a boot having
a boot body, a plurality of lace guides coupled to the boot body,
and at least one lace guided by the lace guides. At least one of
the lace guides includes a lace hook and the at least one lace is
adapted to be dislodged from the hook. The boot further includes at
least one lace lock engageable with the at least one lace so that
the boot may be tightened to the wearer. An amount of slack lace
created upon removing the at least one lace from the hook is
greater than an amount of slack lace that would otherwise be
created upon disengaging the at least one lace from the at least
one lace lock.
[0011] Yet another illustrative embodiment is directed to a boot
comprising a boot body, a plurality of lace guides coupled to the
boot body, and at least one lace guided by the lace guides. At
least one of the lace guides includes a lace hook and the at least
one lace is adapted to be dislodged from the hook. The boot further
includes at least one lace lock engageable with the at least one
lace so that the boot may be tightened to a wearer. The at least
one lace is adapted to have a free-end portion extending from the
at least one lace lock after the at least one lace has been
tightened. An amount of slack lace provided by the free-end portion
of the at least one lace upon disengaging the at least one lace
from the at least one lock is insufficient to permit easy removal
of the boot from the wearer and an amount of slack lace created
upon removing the at least one lace from the lace hook aids in
permitting easy removal of the boot from the wearer.
[0012] A further illustrative embodiment is directed to a method of
using a boot. The boot has a boot body, a plurality of lace guides
coupled to the boot body, at least one lace guided by the lace
guides, and at least one lace lock cooperating with the at least
one lace and engaging the at least one lace so that the at least
one lace is holdable toward a tightening direction to tighten the
boot body about the wearer. The at least one lace is adapted to
have a free-end portion extending from the at least one lace lock
after the at least one lace has been tightened. An amount of slack
lace provided by the free-end portion of the at least one lace upon
disengaging the at least one lace from the at least one lock may be
insufficient to permit easy removal of the boot from the wearer.
The method includes removing the at least one lace from at least
one lace guide to create a length of slack in the at least one lace
to aid in permitting removal of the foot from the boot, and drawing
the lace through at least one of the other lace guides in a
loosening direction.
[0013] Yet another illustrative embodiment is directed to a soft
snowboard boot. The boot includes a boot body formed of flexible
material, with the boot body having a lower region adapted to cover
a foot of a rider and an upper region adapted to cover at least a
portion of a shin of the rider. A plurality of lace guides is
mounted to the boot body, and at least one of the lace guides
comprising a lace hook. The boot also includes a first lacing zone
having a first lace and a first lace lock mounted to the boot body
in the upper region. The first lace is guided by the lace guides
and cooperates with the lower region. The first lace is adapted to
extend through and engage with the first lace lock to tighten the
lower region. The first lace has a portion that extends from the
lower region to the upper region so as to be engageable with the
first lace lock. The boot further includes a second lacing zone
having a second lace and a second lace lock mounted to the boot
body in the upper region. The second lace is guided by the lace
guides and the lace hook and cooperates with the upper region. The
second lace is adapted to extend through and engage with the second
lace lock to tighten the upper region. Both the first and second
laces may be simultaneously secured by the first and second lace
locks, respectively, in the upper region of the boot body forward
of a rear side of the boot body. A release strap is coupled to the
second lace and is graspable to remove the second lace from the
hook so as to create slack in the second lace.
[0014] Various embodiments of the present invention provide certain
advantages. Not all embodiments of the invention share the same
advantages and those that do may not share them under all
circumstances.
[0015] Further features and advantages of the present invention, as
well as the structure of various embodiments of the present
invention are described in detail below with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Various embodiments of the invention will now be described,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one illustrative embodiment
of the boot of the present invention;
[0018] FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the boot of FIG. 1
with a slackened lace;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a side view of the boot of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a side view of the boot of FIG. 1 showing the
opposite side of the boot;
[0021] FIG. 6 is a plan view of an illustrative lace lock for use
with the boot of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view of the lace lock of FIG. 6,
taken along line 7-7; and
[0023] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an illustrative lace guide
for use with the boot of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0024] The boot of the present invention includes arrangement(s)
and/or technique(s) for making the process of tightening and
loosening the laces of a boot more convenient for the wearer.
[0025] In one aspect, the boot is provided with at least two
independent lacing zones, the tensions of which are separately
adjustable by the wearer, thereby increasing comfort, flexibility
and/or performance for the wearer. Thus, the wearer can choose (for
example) for part of the boot to fit more tightly, and for another
part of the boot to fit less tightly.
[0026] To provide the wearer of the boot of the present invention
with the familiar sensation that accompanies tightening
conventionally laced boots, in one embodiment the zones may be
tightened by pulling on two lace ends, each of which emerges from a
lacing zone at about the same location typical of a conventionally
laced boot, i.e., at the upper and/or forward region of the boot.
In one embodiment each zone is tightened with a separate lace. The
sensation of tightening the boot by pulling on, and securing, two
laces at the upper and/or forward region of the boot is similar to
that accompanying the use of a conventional boot lace.
[0027] This arrangement allows the wearer to simultaneously tighten
each zone, providing the wearer with a "feel" as though he or she
is tightening a conventional boot having a single lacing zone,
while still obtaining the benefits of tightening a particular zone
to a desired tension. In one embodiment, the laces may be
simultaneously, yet independently, secured. Although in this
aspect, the lacing arrangement allows the wearer to simultaneously
secure the laces, the wearer need not do so. Rather, the system of
this embodiment merely provides the wearer with the option to
simultaneously secure the laces of each zone. In an alternative
embodiment, for example, the wearer may first secure the lower
lace, after which the wearer secures the upper lace.
[0028] Another aspect of the invention relates to creating slack in
a lace to facilitate loosening and removing the boot. In this
aspect, a balance is struck between employing a relatively short
lace end and providing sufficient lace slack to facilitate removing
the boot. In one embodiment, the boot includes a lace lock for
securing the end of the lace, and one or more lace guides formed as
open hooks (also referred to herein as "speed hooks"), provided on
the boot. The wearer can unhook the lace from the speed hook to
create slack in the lace without a corresponding distance of lace
traveling through the lace lock. In one embodiment, a pull tab or
release strap, graspable by the wearer, is coupled to the lace to
facilitate unhooking the lace from the speed hook. In this manner,
lace slack may be created quickly and easily to facilitate removal
of the boot. An additional benefit may be minimizing wear of the
lace resulting from travel of the lace through the lace lock.
[0029] The above aspects of the invention may be employed in any
suitable combination as the present invention is not limited in
this respect. Also, any or all of the above aspects may be employed
in a snowboard boot; however, the present invention is not limited
in this respect, as aspects of the invention may be used on any
type of footwear, including boots and snowboard boots. Various
aspects and embodiments of the invention will now be described in
more detail with respect to the accompanying drawing figures. The
invention is not, however, limited to the aspects and embodiments
shown.
[0030] A boot 2 (which may be formed as a snowboard boot) in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention that
incorporates the above-discussed aspects is illustrated in FIGS.
1-5. The boot 2 has a boot body 3 (also referred to as a boot
upper) and a sole 4 (typically formed of rubber). Boot body 3 has a
lower region 6 adapted to cover the foot of a wearer, and an upper
region 7 adapted to cover at least a portion of the wearer's shin.
Boot body 3 includes a tongue opening 18 disposed in a shin-to-toe
direction, and a tongue 19 disposed within the tongue opening 18,
and attached at a lower end portion to the boot body 3, in a
conventional manner known in the art.
[0031] The boot 2 shown in the figures is configured for the right
foot of a wearer, and comprises medial side 10 and lateral side 12.
(Herein, the term "lateral side" is used to refer to the side of a
boot facing outward and away from the wearer, i.e., the left side
of the left boot and the right side of the right boot, when worn by
the wearer. The term "medial side" is used to refer to the side of
a boot facing inward toward the wearer's other foot, i.e., the
right side of the left boot and the left side of the right boot,
when worn by the wearer.) Upper lace 14 and lower lace 16 are
threaded through medial and lateral sides 10 and 12 of boot 2.
Upper lace 14 and lower lace 16 can be used to tighten boot 2 (and,
correspondingly, to reduce the width of tongue opening 18 between
medial side 10 and lateral side 12).
[0032] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the boot comprises two
lacing zones--upper lacing zone 20 and lower lacing zone 22. Upper
lace 14 is provided for tightening upper lacing zone 20 in the
upper region 7 of boot body 3, and lower lace 16 is provided for
tightening lower lacing zone 22 in the lower region 6 of boot body
3.
[0033] As discussed above, the use of multiple lacing zones
provides a wearer with the ability to separately tighten different
parts of the boot to desired tension(s). In the example shown in
FIGS. 1-5, a wearer may tighten upper lacing zone 20 to one tension
with upper lace 14 and lower lacing zone 22 to another tension with
lower lace 16. The invention is not limited in this regard,
however, as the boot may be divided into lacing zones in any
desired manner, and need not be divided into an upper lacing zone
and a lower lacing zone. Other two-zone configurations are also
contemplated, and will occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Likewise, more than two lacing zones (in any desired configuration)
may be employed for additional flexibility, comfort and/or
performance.
[0034] In one embodiment, lower lace 16 is anchored to the boot at
position 24 toward the bottom of lower lacing zone 22 (e.g., in the
toe-area of the boot), and is threaded through external lace guides
26, before entering internal lace guide tube or channel 32 disposed
within the wall of medial side 10 of boot 2, through intake eyelet
34. Lower lace 16 extends through internal lace guide tube 32 and
exits at an exit eyelet 36 (FIG. 5), to the upper region 7 of boot
2, where it is threaded through lace lock 38 (FIG. 5). In an
analogous fashion, upper lace 14 is anchored to the boot at
position 50 toward the top of upper lacing zone 20 in the upper
region 7 of boot 2 (e.g., in the shin-area of the boot), and is
threaded through lace guide(s) 26 and over hook 54 (described in
more detail below), before entering internal lace guide tube or
channel 58 disposed within the wall of the lateral side 12 of the
boot 2, through intake eyelet 60. Upper lace 14 extends through
internal lace guide tube 58 and exit eyelet 62, and is then
threaded through lace lock 64, which is provided on the upper
region 7 of boot 2. The invention is not limited, however, as other
suitable configurations of laces, lace guides and lace locks may be
employed.
[0035] For example, fewer or more lace guides may be provided for
guiding each of the laces. The lace guides may be formed in any
desired configuration. For example, they may comprise tubes to
receive a lace, hooks, eyelets, posts, and any other configuration
suitable to guide the lace through the lacing zone. While one such
combination of internal and external lace guides in shown in FIGS.
1-5, other combinations are within the scope of the invention and
will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
[0036] The invention also is not limited to any particular location
for anchoring an end of a lace to the boot. For instance, instead
of anchoring one end of upper lace 14 at the top of upper lacing
zone 20, in another embodiment one end of upper lace 14 may be
anchored at the bottom of upper lacing zone 20, or in any other
appropriate location. The same holds true with respect to the
anchoring of lower lace 16. Likewise, the lace locks 38 (FIG. 5)
and 64 (FIGS. 1-4) need not necessarily be located at the top
portion of the boot as shown; the lace locks may be located
elsewhere, such as on a front portion of the boot.
[0037] In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, each of the
laces 14 and 16 includes a free-end portion, graspable by the
wearer, to tighten the lace. In one embodiment, the free-end
portion may include a portion of lace that is looped back onto
itself to create a handle to facilitate pulling the lace by a
wearer. In particular, upper lace 14 includes handle 66, and lower
lace 16 includes handle 42.
[0038] In operation, the wearer can pull on handles 66 and 42,
which draws the laces in a tightening direction "A", to tighten the
upper and lower lacing zones 20 and 22 sequentially or
simultaneously. When each lacing zone has reached a desired
tightness, the wearer may lock the respective laces in their
corresponding lace locks, though which the laces are threaded. As
described above, this action permits the user to achieve the
sensation of tightening a conventional boot by pulling up on two
free ends of laces. In addition, the need to progressively tighten
a single lace from the bottom to the top of the boot is obviated,
as is the need to tie a knot or bow at the top of the boot. In
short, the wearer can tighten and secure the laces of the boot with
a single motion.
[0039] To hold the lace in place, a lace lock may be employed. One
particular embodiment of a lace lock is illustrated in FIGS. 6-7
and is shown as a cleat. The lace lock 33, 64 comprises a body 98
having two opposing walls, i.e., an inner wall 100 and an outer
wall 102, between which is disposed a channel 104. The lace lock
comprises a front 106 (which faces forward when the lace lock is
mounted to the boot) and a back 108 (which faces backward when lace
lock is mounted to the boot).
[0040] The inner wall 100 and outer wall 102 of the lace lock each
comprise a plurality of locking teeth 110, which cooperate to form
the cleat as depicted in FIG. 6. The depth "d" of the teeth 110
increases from the front 106 to the back 108 of the lace lock.
Accordingly, the teeth 110 converge to form a wedge or "V" shaped
cleat in the channel 104, within which a lace may be secured. The
invention is not limited in this regard, as any appropriate
arrangement of teeth, or any appropriate mechanism for securing the
lace within the lace lock, may be employed.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 7, the teeth 110 closest to a bottom
portion 112 of the lace lock begin at or close to the front edge
106 of the lace lock, whereas the teeth 110 closest to a top
portion 114 of the lace lock are shorter, and begin farther from
the front edge 106 of the lace lock. Accordingly, the teeth 110
closest to the bottom portion 112 of the lace lock are engaged
first by the lace as the wearer pulls the lace from the front edge
106 of the lace lock toward the back end 108 of the lace lock,
after which the lace engages the teeth 110 closest to the top
portion 114 of the lace lock. The invention is not limited in this
regard, however, and other configurations of the teeth 110 are
contemplated.
[0042] The lace lock is secured to boot 2 at its inner wall 100
with fasteners (not shown) passing through holes 116. The invention
is not limited in this regard, however, as other mechanisms for
securing the lace lock to the boot may be employed, such as
adhesives or sewing.
[0043] It should be appreciated that the invention is not limited
to a particular arrangement for securing the lace, as any suitable
mechanism may be employed. For example, the lace lack may be
configured as a spring-loaded barrel lock, a capstan, a cam lock,
post, or any other suitable device or arrangement.
[0044] To further facilitate securing the lace once the lace has
been tightened, the lace lock may be oriented in a position so that
a wearer can tighten and secure the laces in a single motion. In
one embodiment, after the wearer has tightened the laces to a
desired tension, the wearer simply pulls the laces toward the back
edge 108 of the lace lock, which causes then to be trapped within
the "V"-shaped cleat formed by teeth 110. This may be accomplished
by orienting the lace lock on the boot in a manner such that
channel 104 in the lace lock is substantially parallel to the
tongue opening 18 (as shown in FIGS. 1-5). Alternatively, the lace
lock may be configured such that upon relieving the tension in the
lace, the lace automatically is held within the lace lock. The
invention is not limited in this regard, however, as other single
or multi-step locking arrangements may be employed
[0045] The handles may be formed in a manner to relieve pressure
points on the hand of the wearer as he or she pulls on the handle.
In one example, each handle 42, 66 includes a tube through which
the lace is passed. A fabric material may be placed over the tube,
or if no tube is employed, the fabric may be placed over the lace.
Suitable padding may also be employed.
[0046] In one embodiment, it may be advantageous to designate for
the wearer to which zone the lace belongs. Thus, as shown in FIG.
1, handle 66 includes the label "UPPER ZONE" embroidered on or
otherwise applied to the handle. Similarly, handle 42 includes the
label "LOWER ZONE" embroidered on or otherwise applied to the
handle. The present invention is not limited in this respect, as
other suitable designations may be employed, such as color coded or
differently shaped handles. Suitable designations may alternatively
be placed at or on the side of the boot. In addition, no
designations need be employed, as the present invention is not
limited in this respect.
[0047] The handles 42 and 66 of laces 16 and 14 (as well as any
excess lace after tightening) may be stowed to reduce excess lace
that might otherwise hang off the boot and get in the wearer's way.
In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1-5, the boot may include
pockets 44 and 70. In FIG. 4, handle 66 is shown stowed in pocket
44. In FIG. 5, handle 42 is shown stowed in pocket 70. In one
embodiment pockets 44 and 70 comprise elongate openings in the wall
of the boot body 3, at or near the top of the boot 2, and extend in
a substantially vertical direction. In another embodiment, the
pocket may extend at an angle relative to the vertical position, as
shown in FIG. 5.
[0048] It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not
limited in this regard, as pockets need not be provided (or, if
provided, may be located elsewhere on the boot or in a different
configuration).
[0049] In one embodiment, although not shown, a rotary closure
device may be used in place of the lace lock. With such a device,
the free ends of the laces may be threaded into the body of the
device and wrapped around a spool as the spool is rotated to
achieve the desired tension and the use of a pocket may not be
necessary. Such closure devices are well known for use in other
applications, such as for use with a cable tightening system to
replace conventional laces in an athletic shoe, and examples of
such rotary closure devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,738,027; 3,808,644; 4,433,456; 4,616,524; 4,660,300; 4,748,726;
4,761,859; 4,787,124; 4,796,829; 4,841,649; 4,884,760; 4,961,544;
5,042,177; 5,065,481; 5,150,537; 5,152,038; 5,157,813; 5,325,613;
5,600,874; 5,606,778; 5,638,588; and 5,669,116; and European patent
applications EP056,953 and EP264,712. It should be appreciated that
the present invention is not limited to the use of any particular
type of closure device, as any mechanism that is capable of taking
up slack in the lace can be used in connection with the present
invention.
[0050] In another embodiment, also not shown, a lace recoil device
may be employed. The free end of the lace is anchored to a
self-winding spool such that after the desired tension is applied
to the lace, the recoil action of the spool would take up excess
lace. Again, with such a device the use of a pocket may not be
necessary. The recoil device may include a lock to hold the lace at
a desired tension.
[0051] Returning to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-5, the lace
guides 26 may have semi-circular or generally "C" shaped guiding
surfaces. An enlarged rear perspective view of one lace guide 26 is
shown in FIG. 8, with the guiding surface bearing reference numeral
200. As shown in FIG. 8, the lace guide is partially closed, by
closure portions 202, to capture the lace and prevent the lace from
dislodging from the lace guide when tension in the lace is
relieved. The invention is not limited in this regard, however, and
any appropriate configuration of the lace guide to trap the lace
may be used. For example, the lace guide may comprise a tube. In
another example, the back portion of the lace guide may comprise a
piece of flexible material to block the lace from becoming
dislodged when tension in the lace is relieved. Other
configurations are also contemplated and will readily occur to one
of ordinary skill in the art.
[0052] In one embodiment, the radius of curvature "r" of the guide
surface provides a gradual reversal of direction for the lace. Such
a gradual reversal reduces kink points and reduces the chance that
the lace will bind in the guide. In this manner, the efficiency
with which the force applied to the lace is translated to the
tightening tension on the lace is maximized. That is, drag or other
losses are minimized. In one embodiment, the radius of curvature
"r" is approximately 1/2 inch. Other suitable radii of curvature,
or other suitable shapes for the lace guide, may be employed as the
present invention is not limited in this respect.
[0053] The lace guides are made from a low-friction material, such
as teflon, to reduce frictional drag on the laces. The invention is
not limited in this regard, however, as the lace guides can be made
from any appropriate material, such as metal or fabric.
[0054] As noted above, another aspect of the invention relates to
creating slack in a lace to facilitate loosening and removing the
boot. In this aspect, an open hook 54 (also referred to as "speed
hook 54") is provided on the boot body 3, the speed hook 54 being
adapted to permit the lace to dislodge from the speed hook 54 when
desired by the wearer. As depicted in FIGS. 1-4, the speed hook 54
is provided in the upper lacing zone 20 for cooperation with the
upper lace 14. The invention is not limited in this regard,
however, as a speed hook 54 may be used in connection with the
lower lacing zone 22 (or one or more other lacing zones) as well.
The hook 54 may be configured in any suitable manner and formed of
any suitable material, as the present invention is not limited in
this respect. In one embodiment, the hook 54 is formed of a
material similar to the other lace guides, but is smaller, where
the radius of curvature is either the same (e.g., approximately 1/2
inch) or smaller (e.g., 1/4 or 1/8 inch).
[0055] Further, as shown, the hook 54 is disposed between two lace
guides 26 such that, upon dislodging the lace from the hook 54, the
ends of lace on either side of the hook are still captured by the
other lace guides. In this manner, upon re-tightening the boot, the
wearer need only to re-engage the lace with the hook 54, rather
than with several of the other lace guides 26. However, the present
invention is not limited in this respect, and the lace hook 54 may
be positioned in other suitable locations and/or additional lace
hooks may be employed. In other embodiments, the lace may be
removable from any one or more of the lace guides.
[0056] A pull tab 120 (also referred to as a "release strap") is
provided on the lace (in this case upper lace 14) and includes a
graspable portion to facilitate movement of lace 14 onto and off of
the speed hook 54. In one embodiment, the release strap is formed
from a strip of material, for example, fabric, that is stitched
onto the lace. The strap may be attached to the lace in a manner
that allows it to slide along the lace. In one embodiment, a
portion of the strip of material is folded over the lace and back
onto itself to form a loop that surrounds the lace, and sewn
closed. The invention is not limited in this regard, however, as
the release strap may be formed using other techniques, or may be
formed into other structures, such as a solid piece of material
with a channel formed therein to receive the lace. Alternatively,
absent such structures, the wearer may move the lace onto and off
of the hook with a finger.
[0057] In this aspect, the wearer unhooks the lace 14 from the
speed hook 54 (with or without release strap 120, as noted above),
as shown in FIG. 2, to create slack in the lace 14. This slack may
be transferred to adjacent lace portions 14a, 14b, as shown in FIG.
3, enabling the wearer to more easily remove the boot from the foot
by, for example, moving the tongue away from the wearer's leg,
which is now largely unrestricted due to the slack in the lace.
[0058] By allowing the lace to become dislodged from the lace hook
54, the need for the lace to pass back through the lace lock is
minimized. As shown in FIG. 1, the amount of lace "L" at the free
end of lace 14 that extends generally between the lace lock 64 and
position 122 of handle 66 (i.e., where the lace 14 re-unites with
itself after being formed into a handle loop) is minimal so that a
large amount of lace is not hanging off the boot or otherwise need
to be stowed. This length of lace ("L") is less than an amount of
lace typically desired to produce enough slack lace to facilitate
easy removal of the boot. That is, upon disengaging the lace 14
from the lace lock 64 and pulling the lace 14 back through the lace
lock 64 in a loosening direction "B", the lace will only move until
position 122 abuts the lace lock 64. No additional amount of lace
14 can pass through lace lock 64 in direction "B". Therefore, to
create additional slack in the lace 14, the lace 14 is unhooked
from hook 54, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to aid the wearer in
removing the boot.
[0059] In one embodiment, the amount of slack created in the lace
14 by unhooking the lace 14 from the speed hook 54 ("S1" and "S2",
as shown in FIG. 2) exceeds an amount of lace "L" available to pass
through the lace lock 64 in the loosening direction "B". In one
embodiment, this amount of lace ("S1" and "S2") creates sufficient
slack by itself that unlocking the lace 14 from the lace lock 64 is
not necessary for removal of the boot 2. In another embodiment, the
amount of lace ("S1" and "S2") plus the additional amount "L"
provided upon unlocking the lace 14 form the lace lock 64 produces
sufficient slack to facilitate boot removal.
[0060] In one embodiment, the amount of lace "L" at the free-end of
the lace 14 is approximately 3 inches. The amount of lace "S1" and
"S2" together is approximately 9 inches. However, it should be
appreciated that the present invention is not limited in this
respect, as other suitable lengths may be employed.
[0061] The laces 14 and 16 can be implemented in any of numerous
ways, and the present invention is not limited to any particular
implementation. The laces 14 and 16 should be sufficiently strong
to resist the substantial forces that can be encountered when
snowboarding, and in this respect may require greater strength than
the laces employed in conventional footwear such as athletic shoes.
The laces 14 and 16 can be formed from a monofilament or a
multistrand line. In accordance with one illustrative embodiment of
the invention, the laces 14 and 16 are formed of a low-friction
material capable of resisting a high tensile force without
elongation to minimize frictional engagement between the laces 14
and 16 and the lace guides 26, and thereby facilitate even pressure
distribution throughout the respective lacing zones 20 and 22.
While not limited to any particular material or any particular form
(i.e., woven, braided, monofilament, etc.), examples of materials
that can be used for the laces 14 and 16 include various types of
fabrics, plastics, metals, Kevlar and/or Spectra Cord.
[0062] The boot 2 may be configured as a soft boot employing soft,
flexible materials such as leather, fabrics, plastics (e.g.,
non-rigid plastics) or other suitable natural or manmade materials.
A liner (not shown) may also be employed and inserted into the
interior region of the boot, however, the present invention is not
limited in this respect. A tongue stiffener, whether removable or
not, may be employed to stiffen an otherwise flexible tongue. An
example of a tongue stiffener may be found in commonly assigned
U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,454, which is hereby incorporated herein by
reference.
[0063] In the embodiments shown, the laces 14 and 16 follow a
meandering path and do not cross over themselves, unlike many
conventional laces that cross over themselves while
"criss-crossing" the tongue opening 18. The invention is not
limited in this regard, however, and other lacing patters may be
used as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. For
example, a lacing pattern in which the laces cross over themselves
may be employed.
[0064] It should be understood that the foregoing description of
the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and
that other embodiments, modifications, and equivalents of the
invention are within the scope of the invention recited in the
claims appended hereto. Further, although each embodiment described
above includes certain features, the invention is not limited in
this respect. Thus, one or more of the above-described or other
features of the boot or methods of use, may be employed singularly
or in any suitable combination, as the present invention is not
limited to a specific embodiment.
* * * * *