CA2302646A1

CA2302646A1 - Quick shoe lace tightener

Info

Publication number: CA2302646A1
Application number: CA 2302646
Authority: CA
Inventors: Lawrence H. Lee; Thomas A. Watson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-03-29
Filing date: 2000-03-17
Publication date: 2000-09-29

Abstract

A quick shoe lace tightener is connected to a conventional laced shoe by its lace in a unique fashion, said shoe having two flaps with eyelets. The tightener comprises two elongated members, one positioned along side each flap adjacent to its eyelets. The two members are flexibly connected together at the toe end of the shoe lace tightener. Each elongated member is laced to the eyelets one on each flap. A slider, slidably attached to the two members moves upward between the two members squeezing them together, quickly and effectively tightening the shoe lace, hence the shoe.

Description

QUICK SHOE LACE TIGHTENER
DISCLOSURE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a quick shoe lace tightener. More specifically it relates to a tightener that may be attached to a shoe without modification to the shoe. The tightener is attached to a common type laced shoe by its lace. In this invention the lace is laced to an elongated member on either side of the shoe.
The tightener is configured to tighten the lace on the shoe simply by pulling up a slider. It is released from a person's foot by sliding the slider downwards toward a person's toe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art according to US Patent 4805270 shows an apparatus for securing shoe laces employing a set of jaws. US Patent 5129130 shows a shoe lace arrangement with a fastener employing a hinged tension lever and groove. US Patent 5315741 shows a snap fastener for securing shoe laces employing a hinged fastener, rotating lever and a vertical flange. None of the prior art employs a system for shoe lace tightening using two elongated members and a slider.
The advantages of this invention are that the shoe can be quickly secured to or released from a person's foot and there are no loose shoe laces that a person can trip on.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the invention is to provide a shoe lace tightener that will effectively tighten or loosen a lace on a shoe in one simple motion.
Another objective is to eliminate the tying of a lace on a shoe every time it is put on one's foot.
Another objective is to provide a quick release of a shoe from a person's foot.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a quick way to fasten a shoe to a person's foot.
Still another objective is to eliminate loose shoe lace ends that may cause a person to trip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Fig 1 shows a side view of a quick shoe lace tightener.
Fig 2 shows a partial top view of a shoe with the tightener of Fig. 1 attached.
Fig 3 is a front view of the shoe lace tightener's slider.
Fig 4 is a front view of a shoe lace tightener's slider with a spring tensioner.
Fig 5 is a side view of one of the elongated members of the tightener.
Fig 6 shows a top view of the elongated member of Fig 5.
Fig 7 shows a side view of a second elongated member.

Fig 8 shows a plan view of another version of a shoe lace tightener employing a flexible member to hold both sides of the shoe fastener together, wherein the shoe's tongue is protected by a tongue protector.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Figures 1,2,5,6 and 7 show a quick shoe lace tightener 1 having an elongated member 2 comprising a rod section 4, loops 5 and 6, a rail ? having indentations 8 and another loop 9. Loops 5 and 9 are positioned over rivet 19. Washer 18 acts as a spacer. A
similar elongated member 3 having a rail 11 and a rod 12 with indentations 13 and loops 10 and 20 is also positioned over rivet 19. A slider 14, Fig 3, having a slot 21, and a hole 22, slides on rails 7 and 11. The hole 22 and slot 21 on slider 14, may be used to tie a bow on the tightener, such that the bow will be positioned at the top of the shoe when the slider is up.
This will enhance its appearance. Also slider 14, may readily be pulled up by the bow thus allowing the slider to have a low profile. Elongated members 2 and 3 are riveted together by rivet 19 so that the members can pivot about each other. This form of pivot could be eliminated by employing a straight spring wire or spring in place of a rivet and loops about which both members can flex.
The tightener of Figs 1 and 2 is shown mounted in Fig 2 on a shoe 30 having flaps 35 and 36 with eyelets 32 and 33 respectively along the flaps outer edge. The term eyelet is employed to designate eyelets, holes ,loops, strap eyelets, etc, through which a lace may be passed. The lace 31 is tied permanently to loop 17 with a knot(not shown)and knotted partially under flap 35. It is laced around rod 12 by passing it through eyelets 32 and then over to the other eyelets 33 and laced to rod 4. It is then permanently tied to loop 6 with a knot(not shown) under flap 36. Tongue 34 lies under flaps 35 and 36. When slider 14 is at the bottom of flaps 35 and 36 near rivet 19 in Fig 2 flaps 35 and 36 are apart at the top of the shoe, making it easy to put on shoe 30.
The indentations 8 on rail 7 and indentations 13 on rail 11 act as a locking device to hold slider 14 in position. The rails tend to spread apart due to the outward pressure on them caused by a person's foot. The indentations 8 and 13 act to hold slider 14 at various locations along the rails thus acting to adjust the tension for different foot widths. There is also some springiness in both the rods and rails thus they tend to accommodate various foot widths. The rods allow the laces to adjust and equalize the tension on the lace.
The slider 32 of Fig 4 comprises a spring 35 and slider bushings 33 and 34. The spring 35 further acts to compensate for variations in pressure along the length of the tightener rods 12 and 4.

The slider 14 is pulled up to hold the shoe on a person's foot and down to take it off. This greatly reduces the time to put a shoe on or take it off while retaining the advantage given by a lace which accommodates various foot widths and shapes.
The rails 7 and 11 are bent outward from the centre line 40 starting at rivet 19. This reduces the angle, theta, between rails 7 and 11 making it initially easier to pull slider 14 upward toward loops 6 and 17. When slider 14 reaches midway up rails 7 and 11 the angle, theta, is substantially reduced making it easier to slide slider 14 further up the rails 7 and 11.
Figure 8 shows a shoe 40 having a shoe lace tightener 41.
Shoe lace tightener 41 has a rail 53 joined to rod 51 which in turn is joined to member 45, again in turn it joins to rod 52 which joins rail 54. Lace 43 is threaded through eyelets 42 on flaps 44 and is tied to itself at positions 58 and 59.
A slider, 50, is adapted to pull up and down on rails 53 and 54.
Slider, 50 at its top position, is also adapted to rest in indentations 55 and 56. Slider, 50, when pulled down to position 57 at the toe end of shoe 40. allows rails 53 and 54 to open to their widest position. Pulling slider, 50, toward indentations 55 and 56 tightens the laces. Member, 45, between rails 53 and 54 provides spring action which force rails 53 and 54 apart, when slider, 50 is down.
The tongue protector 46 prevents the slider 50 from rubbing on tongue, 47.
The tightener can be fabricated from wire, stamped metal or plastic moulding, etc.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the size, shape, number, type and arrangement of parts described hereintofore without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A quick shoe lace tightener for a shoe having a lace, two flaps one on either side of said shoe with eyelets along the outer edges of said flaps, comprising a first elongated member adapted to extend along the edge of a first flap, adjacent to its eyelets, and said member adapted to lace to said eyelets, a second elongated member adapted to extend along the edge of a second flap adjacent its eyelets and said second member adapted to lace to said eyelets, means connecting the first and second members flexibly together near the bottom of said tightener near the toe end of said shoe, a slider means slidably connected to said elongated members for pulling said members together whereby said lace pulls tight.

2. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for pulling said members together comprises a rail attached to each elongated member which runs substantially parallel to said members and a slider interconnecting said rails, the slider slidably mounted on said rails, whereby moving said slider up from the toe end of said shoe pulls said rails gradually together along with the elongated members.

3. A tightener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for pulling said members together, comprises a rail attached to each elongated member, which runs substantially parallel to said members, the slider slidably mounted on said rails, said rails having indentations configured to lock said slider so as to prevent said rails from moving apart, whereby moving said slider up said rails pulls them together along with the elongated members.

4. A tightener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rails at the top are bent inward from said centre line drawn through said slider and between said rails, for locking said slider to said rails.

5. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 comprising a protector adapted to fit over said shoe's tongue and attached to said tightener, said tongue protector adapted to protect said shoe's tongue from said slider.

6. A tightener as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for interconnecting said elongated members at the bottom of said tightener comprises a spring member.