U.S. patent number RE31,052 [Application Number 06/232,854] was granted by the patent office on 1982-10-12 for lacing assembly for a shoe.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kaepa, Inc.. Invention is credited to Thomas M. Adams.
United States Patent |
RE31,052 |
Adams |
October 12, 1982 |
Lacing assembly for a shoe
Abstract
A lacing assembly for a shoe, and particularly an athletic shoe,
in which the side quarters include separate lower and upper vamp
sections that are secured by a single lace extending therebetween.
A clamp connects the lace at the lower vamp section, while the lace
is secured separately at the upper vamp section, for selectively
adjusting and maintaining the fit of each vamp section
independently of the other vamp section. The clamp is carried by
the lace between the lower and upper vamp sections. More
particularly, the clamp is slidably mounted on the lace for
selectively moving down or up on the lace upon adjusting the fit of
the lower vamp section, the clamp selectively fixing the lace to
maintain the desired adjusted fit of the lower vamp section.
Inventors: |
Adams; Thomas M. (San Antonio,
TX) |
Assignee: |
Kaepa, Inc. (San Antonio,
TX)
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Family
ID: |
26926395 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/232,854 |
Filed: |
February 9, 1981 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
910774 |
May 30, 1978 |
04200998 |
May 6, 1980 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
36/50.1;
24/712.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43C
1/00 (20130101); A43C 1/003 (20130101); Y10T
24/3713 (20150115) |
Current International
Class: |
A43C
1/00 (20060101); A43B 011/00 (); F16G 011/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;36/50,51,102,138
;12/113 ;24/117R,140,143 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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869754 |
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Mar 1953 |
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DE |
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1374110 |
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Aug 1964 |
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FR |
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Primary Examiner: Kee Chi; James
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cohn, Powell & Hind
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. In a lacing assembly for a shoe:
(a) side quarters including separate lower and upper vamp
sections,
(b) a single, continuous lace having only one pair of ends, the
single lace lacing both and extending between the lower and upper
vamp sections, and having the one pair of lace ends selectively
tied at the top of the upper vamp section, and
(c) a clamp interconnecting the single lace at the top of the lower
vamp section for selectively fixing or loosening the lace at the
top of the lower vamp section and adjusting the fit of the lower
vamp section for the comfort of the wearer independently of the
upper vamp section, the said one pair of lace ends being
separately, selectively tied at the top of the upper vamp section
and adjusting the fit of the upper vamp section for the comfort of
the wearer independently of the lower vamp section.
2. In a lacing assembly for a shoe as defined in claim 1, in
which:
(d) the clamp is slidably mounted on the single lace, and located
between the lower and upper vamp sections, the clamp being
selectively movable down or up on the single lace upon adjusting
the fit of the lower vamp section, and the clamp including means
for selectively fixing the single lace at the top of the lower vamp
section and maintaining the desired adjusted fit of the lower vamp
section. .Iadd. 3. In a lacing assembly for a shoe:
(a) a vamp having adjacent vamp sections,
(b) a single, continuous lace having only one pair of ends, the
single lace lacing both vamp sections, and having the one pair of
lace ends selectively tied at one of the vamp sections, and
(c) a clamp interconnecting the single lace at the other of said
vamp sections for selectively fixing or loosening the lace and
maintaining the lace at the said other vamp section for the comfort
of the wearer independently of the said one vamp section, the said
one pair of lace ends being separately, selectively tied at the
said one vamp section and adjusting the fit of the said one vamp
section for the comfort of the wearer independently of the said
other vamp section. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 4. In a lacing assembly for a
shoe:
(a) side quarters including a vamp having lower and upper vamp
sections,
(b) a single, continuous lace having only one pair of ends, the
single lace lacing both lower and upper vamp sections, and having
the one pair of lace ends selectively tied at the upper vamp
section, and
(c) a clamp interconnecting the single lace at the lower vamp
section for selectively fixing or loosening the lace at the lower
vamp section and adjusting and maintaining the fit of the lower
vamp section for the comfort of the wearer independently of the
upper vamp section, the said one pair of lace ends being
separately, selectively tied at the upper vamp section and
adjusting the fit of the upper vamp section for the comfort of the
wearer independently of the lower vamp section. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to improvements in the lacing
assembly of a shoe, and more particularly to an improved lacing
assembly for an athletic shoe in which lower and upper vamp
sections can be selectively adjusted and maintained to fit
different portions of the foot independently while utilizing a
single lace for and extending between the lower and upper vamp
sections.
In applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,796, an athletic shoe is
disclosed having separate lower and upper vamp sections. A pair of
laces are provided, one lace for each vamp section. While each vamp
section can be adjustably fitted and maintained by its own
individual lace, it has been found to be disadvantageous to use a
pair of separate laces for each shoe. For example, when untied, a
pair of laces presents four loose ends that can become tangled and
must be stored out into appropriate pairs before each vamp section
can be adjustably fitted and tied. Moreover, when a pair of laces
are tied, each lace provides a bow, thereby providing a pair of
bows on each shoe that can become tangled and which present an
unconventional and unacceptable appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present lacing assembly for a shoe, and particularly an
athletic shoe, provides for selectively adjusting and maintaining
the fit of lower and upper vamp sections independently of each
other, while utilizing a lacing that presents only a conventional
pair of loose ends when untied and a single conventional bow when
tied.
In the present lacing assembly, a lacing means is provided for and
extends between separate lower and upper vamp sections of the side
quarters, and a securing means interconnects the lacing means at
the lower vamp section, while the lacing means is secured
separately at the upper vamp section, for selectively adjusting and
maintaining the fit of each vamp section independently of the other
vamp section.
The securing means connecting the lacing means at the lower vamp
section is preferably located between the lower and upper vamp
sections. More particularly, the securing means is a clamp
selectively fixing or loosening the lacing means at the lower vamp
section for adjusting the fit of the lower vamp section for the
comfort of the wearer at the forward foot portion and toes, while
the fit of the upper vamp section can be adjusted for the comfort
of the wearer at the instep and arch of the foot.
The clamp is of a type that can be slidably mounted on the lacing
means for selectively moving down or up on the lacing means upon
adjusting the fit of the lower vamp section, and which can be
selectively fixed to the lacing means to maintain the desired
adjusted fit.
Preferably, the lacing means for and extending between the lower
and upper vamp sections is a single lace.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an athletic shoe incorporating the
lacing assembly and illustrating both vamp sections secured;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating
the upper vamp section loosened by the lace independently of the
lower vamp section;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, top plan view of the lacing
clamp for the lower vamp section;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3,
and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first
to FIGS. 1-2, it will be understood that the shoe generally
indicated by 10 is of the type usually designated as an athletic
shoe. The shoe 10 includes a sole 11, a toe cap 12 and a toe guard
13 along the front edge of the sole 11. A tongue 14 is attached to
and extends upwardly from the top cap 12. The shoe 10 is provided
with left and right side quarters 15 and 16 which are brought
together at the rear in a heel 17. The side quarters 15-16 of shoe
10 overlay the tongue 14 and are adapted to overlay the instep,
arch and forward foot portion and toes of the person wearing the
shoe. This forward part of the side quarters 15-16 is known as the
vamp referred to by 20.
The vamp 20 includes a lower vamp section 21 that overlies the
forward foot portion and the toes, and an upper vamp section 22
that overlays the arch and instep of the foot. These vamp sections
are constructed so that the upper vamp section 22 overlaps the
upper part of the lower vamp section 21.
The associated pairs of panels defining the lower vamp section 21
and the upper vamp section 22 are provided with opposed eyelets 23.
Lacing means 24 is provided for and extends between the lower and
upper vamp sections 21-22. The lacing means 24 consists preferably
of a single lace that is attached to the lowermost opposed pair of
eyelets 23 of lower vamp section 21 and then criss-crossed into the
other eyelets 23 in the conventional manner, and is then passed
into the lowermost pair of opposed eyelets 23 of the upper vamp
section 22 and is criss-crossed into the other eyelets 23 of upper
vamp section 22. The ends of the lace can be selectively tied in a
bow at the upper vamp section 22.
The clamp 25, constituting a securing means, connects the lacing
means 24 at the lower vamp section, and is located between the
lower and upper vamp sections 21-22. The clamp 25 selectively fixes
or loosens the lacing means 24 at the lower vamp section 21 for
adjusting the fit of the lower vamp section 21 for the comfort of
the wearer independently of the upper vamp section 22.
As is best shown in FIGS. 3-5, the clamp 25 includes a hollow body
26 having a back wall 27 and a front wall 30 with a chamber 31
therebetween. The front wall 30 is provided with an elongate guide
slot 32.
Slidably mounted in the body chamber 31 is a lock plunger 33, the
plunger 33 including a guide lug 34 that is slidably received in
the guide slot 32. As is best illustrated in FIG. 5, the plunger 33
divides the chamber 31 into a pair of side passages 35 and 36
through which the lacing means 24 extends. The inner end of plunger
33 is provided with serrations 37 adapted to engage and grip the
lacing means 24 when the lock plunger 33 is moved inwardly to its
locked position relative to the lacing means 24.
When the lacing means 24 is disposed in the clamp 25, and
particularly in the side passages 35-36, the clamp 25 can be
slidably moved down or up on the lacing means 24, when the lock
plunger 33 is moved to its extended, unlocked position. When the
clamp 25 is moved to the desired selected position on the lacing
means 24 incident to adjusting the fit of the lower vamp section 21
for the comfort of the wearer, the lock plunger 33 is depressed to
its locking position in which the serrations 37 and the inner end
of plunger 33 engage and fix the lacing means 24 in order to
maintain the desired adjusted fit of the lower vamp section 21.
To assemble the clamp 25 on the lacing means 24, the lace is laced
to the lower vamp section 21 in the manner previously described,
and then the ends of the lace are passed through the side passages
35 and 36 of the clamp 25, and the clamp 25 is slidably moved along
the lace until it is located at the top of the lower vamp section
21 and between the lower and upper vamp sections 21-22. Then, the
ends of the lace are laced to the upper vamp section 22 in the
manner previously described.
It is thought that the usage and functional advantages of this
lacing assembly has become fully apparent from the foregoing
detailed description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure,
the adjustment of the fit of the lower and upper vamp sections
21-22 and the fixing of the lacing means 24 will be briefly
described. It will be assumed that the lower and upper vamp
sections 21-22 have been laced and the clamp 25 appropriately
attached to the lacing means 24 and located between the lower and
upper sections 21-22.
The lacing means 24 is loosened at both the lower and upper vamp
sections 21-22 to allow for the easy insertion of the foot into the
shoe 10. This is accomplished by untying the lacing means 24 at the
upper vamp section 22 is necessary, and loosening the lacing means
24 at the upper vamp section 22. The clamp 25 is slidably moved
upwardly on the lacing means 24 by releasing the clamp 25 by
pulling the lock plunger 33 outwardly to its extended, unlocked
position. Then the lacing means 24 can be loosened relative to the
lower vamp section 21. The foot of the wearer can then be placed
completely within the shoe.
The fit of the lower vamp section 21 is first adjusted by
tightening the lacing means 24 at the top of the lower vamp section
21 until the forward foot portion and toes of the wearer are
comfortably gripped by the lower vamp section 21. Then the clamp 25
is slidably moved down on the lacing means 24 to take up any slack
in the lacing means 24 at the top of the lower vamp section 21, and
the clamp 25 is fixed to the lacing means 24 to maintain the
desired adjusted fit of the lower vamp section 21. As explained
previously, the clamp 25 is fixed by pressing the lock plunger 33
inwardly into locking, wedging engagement with the lacing means
24.
Then the lacing means 24 of the upper vamp section 22 is tightened
so that the upper vamp section 22 comfortably grips the instep and
arch of the foot. It will be understood that this adjustment of the
upper vamp section 22 is accomplished independently of and without
disturbing the adjusted fit of the lower vamp section 21. The free
ends of the lacing means 24 at the top of the upper vamp section 22
are then tied or otherwise secured, as is shown in FIG. 1.
The clamp 25 connects the lacing means 24 at the lower vamp section
21, while the lacing means 24 is secured separately at the upper
vamp section 22, thereby enabling selective adjustment and
maintenance of the fit of each vamp section 21-22 independently of
the other vamp section. The clamp 25 is relatively small and is
carried by the lacing means 24 and is located unobtrusively between
the lower and upper vamp sections 21 and 22. Further, the clamp 25
and its location and connection to the lacing means 24 enables the
use of a single lace for both the lower and upper vamp sections 21
and 22, and still provides for the independent adjustment of the
fit of each vamp section.
* * * * *