U.S. patent application number 12/583728 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for means of lacing shoes.
Invention is credited to Henri E. Rosen.
Application Number | 20110047821 12/583728 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43622714 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110047821 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rosen; Henri E. |
March 3, 2011 |
Means of lacing shoes
Abstract
A laced shoe construction providing improved means for securing
the girthwise adjustment of the shoe lacing means without the need
of adjusting a conventional bow-knot or other equivalent lace end
connecting means.
Inventors: |
Rosen; Henri E.; (Watertown,
MA) |
Family ID: |
43622714 |
Appl. No.: |
12/583728 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/50.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C 1/02 20130101; A43C
5/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
36/50.1 |
International
Class: |
A43C 11/00 20060101
A43C011/00 |
Claims
1. A girthwise tensional manually adjustable laced shoe
construction having a shoelace and at least two pair of lace
holding means, wherein the effective girthwise tension of the shoe
is set and controlled by means of one pair of lace holding means
having a sufficiently small inside diameter to control the
placement of the lace at the girthwise dimension preferred by the
wearer.
2. The shoe construction of claim 1, wherein said lacing means are
elastic.
3. The shoe construction of claim 2, wherein the elasticity of the
lacing means is lengthwise.
4. The shoe construction of claim 2, wherein the elasticity of the
lacing means is diametric.
5. The shoe construction of claim 1, wherein the girthwise
tensional securing means comprise an eyelet having a sufficiently
smaller inside diameter than that which would allow relatively
friction-free movement of the lacing means passing therethrough, to
hold at least a portion of the girthwise lacing means at a
preferred tensional adjustment during the wearing use of the
shoe.
6. The shoe construction of claim 1, wherein the effective ball to
instep girth relationship of the shoe adjust to the foot of a
particular wearer, in the wearing use thereof.
7. The shoe construction of claim 1, wherein the lace holding means
are eyelets.
8. The shoe construction of claim 1, wherein the lace holding means
are spring clips.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention comprises improved means for the manual
adjustment of shoe laces, without the need of the usual tying and
untying of a bowknot or equivalent lace end adjustable connecting
means.
[0002] It is well-known that with lace-adjusted shoe designs, many
wearers prefer not having to tie and untie the usual bowknot used
to connect the lace ends. Such wearers include those who may find
proper adjustment too difficult, as with young children and the
infirm, as well as other wearers who may prefer the appearance and
convenience of manually adjusted laced shoe designs without the
need of bowknots or equivalent lace end attaching means.
Consequently, this invention will provide the above advantages with
both criss-cross and the usually preferred so-called "parallel
lacing" previously applicable only for display and photographic
use, but now available with the means of the present invention to
shoes for general use as well.
[0003] As to prior art, none provides the improved appearance and
simplicity of operation, preferably with infinitely incremental
(shoe) girth adjustment means of the present invention. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,315 discloses use of an elastic shoe
lace with lace end attaching means other than the usual bowknot,
however these means lack the infinitely variable adjustability and
simpler appearance of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention is directed to a shoe construction comprising
improved means for the manual adjustment of the effective girth of
a so-called "bow-less" laced shoe construction, utilizing a lace
holding control means, such as a pair of opposing control eyelets
in the fit/critical instep of the shoe, just forward of its rear
lacing eyelets. The control lace holding means have a sufficiently
smaller inside diameter than the other lace holding means to lock
the adjustment of the lace to the girthwise tension preferred by
the wearer. The other lace holding means in the shoe have a greater
inside diameter than the control lace holding means, thereby
allowing the rest of the lacing to automatically and comfortably
adjust to the girth of a foot placed therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a side elevational cross-sectional view of a laced
shoe 20, taken along its longitudinal centerline, and embodying
principles of the present invention.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shoe 20 of FIG. 1, taken from
above, showing the shoe 20 as it would appear when adjusted to a
relatively greater girth.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the shoe 20 of FIG. 1, taken from
above, showing the shoe 20 as it would appear when adjusted to a
relatively lesser girth, with elastic lacing 30 temporarily
extended rearwards and/or upwards during a manual tensional
adjustment of the girthwise lace-locking system of the shoe 20.
DEFINITIONS
[0008] The following definitions will be used in reference to the
terms and phrases used in this disclosure:
[0009] "Ball to instep girth relationship"--The ratio of the girth
dimensions of the ball portion to those of the instep portion of a
particular wearer's foot.
[0010] "Bow-less"--A shoe lacing system that doesn't require the
use of a bow-knot for adjustably connecting rearward lace ends
thereof.
[0011] "Criss-cross lacing"--Shoe lacing arrangement wherein
visible portions of the lace criss-cross one another between
opposing lacing eyelets in the upper assembly of the shoe.
[0012] "Elastic, elasticized"--Resiliently changeable
dimensionally, upon application of a dimensionally changeable force
thereto.
[0013] "Lace holding means"--Include conventional eyelets and as
well as other means such as lugs which hold a shoelace in its
proper location. "Girthwise adjustable"--Adjustable in the
effective transverse girth dimensions of inner shoe surfaces,
adjacent to a foot therein.
[0014] "Heel-slip"--The vertical movement of the backpart of a shoe
relative to the adjacent heel portion of a foot therein, as
typically may occur during the stride of a wearer.
[0015] "Parallel lacing"--Shoe lacing arrangement, wherein the
visible laces of a shoe are transversely horizontal and parallel to
each other.
[0016] "Rear-most lace holding means"--The lace holding means most
closely adjacent to the foot-enclosing rearward opening of a shoe's
upper assembly.
[0017] "Shoe"--General term for footwear of various design and
constructions.
[0018] "Stretch lace"--A elastic shoe lacing means, comprising a
preferably fabric tubular cover with a compressible elastic rubber
or similar lacing core elements therewithin.
[0019] "Tensional adjustment"--Adjustment by the application of
tension thereto.
[0020] "Unitsole"--Unitary typically molded rubber, polyurethane or
similar plastic bottom-most element of a shoe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0021] Referring to the drawings, a typical athletic style of shoe
is shown, embodying principles of the present invention, which are
similarly applicable to other shoe designs and constructions, as
well.
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a typical laced shoe 20 having an upper
assembly 22, comprising a vamp 24 having a topline, a combination
tongue and toepiece 26, and a loose woven fabric lining 28,
stitchably attached to the topline of the vamp 24 by stitching 30,
as by trim-stitching 32. The loose woven fabric lining 28 is
flexible but preferably relative inelastic. The upper assembly 22
is further attached to a unitsole 44, by conventional means such as
direct molding, or equivalents thereto. Upper assembly 22 further
comprises manually adjustable lacing means 34, preferably
transversely parallel to each other where visible, and extending
through opposing pairs of lace holding means 36, 38, 40 and 42,
located in the uppermost mid-portion of the vamp 24. Suitable lace
holding means include eyelets (shown) as well as spring clips (not
shown), or the like.
[0023] The lacing means 34 is preferably conventionally elasticized
in both lengthwise and diametric dimensions. The lacing means 34
generally comprises a Dacron.RTM. or similar spandex fabric tubular
covering over a compressible natural or synthetic rubber
compressible core. Preferably the cross-sectional core is round.
The lacing means 34 has a diameter which will allow it to pass
relatively freely through the conventional common diameters of
opposing lace holding means 36, 40 and 42, but appreciably less
freely through the frictionally-controlling lace holding means 38.
The controlling lace holding means 38 have a sufficiently lesser
inside diameter than that of the lace holding means 34 to hold the
effective girth of the shoe 20 at the tensional adjustment selected
by the wearer.
[0024] As shown, the visible lacing of FIG. 1 is the preferred
parallel lacing arrangement providing infinitely variable girth
adjustment within the designed adjustment range of the shoe 20,
preferably at a fitting tension sufficient to minimize heel-slip
during the stride thereof.
[0025] This invention is applicable to any lacing design having at
least two pairs of opposing lace holding means on each side of the
shoe. Preferably however, there will be 4 pairs of opposing lace
holding means as shown in the figures to provide a better-fitting
shoe through-out the ball and waist areas of the shoe.
[0026] FIGS. 2-3 show plan views taken from above the shoe 20 of
FIG. 1, with manually operable tensional girth adjustment being
provided by an elastic parallel lacing means 34, and four pair of
opposing lace holding means 36, 38, 40 and 42 therewith. FIG. 2
shows the shoe 20 as it would appear when adjusted to a foot of
relatively greater girth, while FIG. 3 shows the shoe adjusted to
lesser girth. FIG. 3 also shows the lace 34 temporarily extended
rear-wards, from the rear eyelets 36, to provide a preferred
tensional girth adjustment of the shoe 20. Alternatively the lace
34 can be extended upwards, or rearwards and upwards for such
adjustment. After each manual adjustment of the girthwise lacing
tension, the lace 34 returns to its original alignment between the
opposing lace holding means 36 as shown in FIG. 2, with the
preferred girthwise tension held, as previously noted, by the
opposing tension control lace holding means 38, allowing the lacing
34 through lace holding means 38 to adjust to the particular ball
to instep girth relationship of the wearer's foot.
[0027] As noted, the above figures show a so-called "parallel"
lacing arrangement, usually preferred for manually lace-adjusted
shoe designs. While a criss-cross lacing arrangement can be used,
it is not preferred for wearing use due to the considerable
additional adjustment friction required therewith.
[0028] It will be noted that other optional equivalents to the
means disclosed above include other mechanical means, including
(other) frictional and/or mechanical means, including springs, and
spring-locking or other mechanical locking means that can maintain
a preferred girthwise tensional adjustment in a shoe, with such
means generally less preferred than those of the disclosure due to
added complexity of operation, and consequently less than optimum
necessary adjustment of the girth of the shoe to the typical
diurnal changes or the girth of the foot therewithin.
[0029] As for materials and sources, upper leathers may be supplied
by Prime Tanning of Berwick, Me. Fabrics materials may be supplied
by the George C. Moore, Co., Inc., of Westerly, R.I. Elastic laces
may be from Hickory Brands, Inc., of Hickory, N.C. Lace holding
means may be from Trendware/Goldberg Footwear Components, Inc., of
Salem, Mass.
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