GB2350773A - Tag structure for a shoelace - Google Patents

Abstract

The ends of a shoelace are enclosed in shrunk-on tags 3a,2b which also enclose an additional short length 9 of shoelace which extends back out of the tag parallel to the main body of the lace. The additional lengths may be separate pieces or folded back portions of the main lace and are effective to prevent loosening of a knot or the pulling back of the lace through an eyelet on the shoe. An additional shrunk-on sleeve 4 or a sewn-on length (11, Fig 10) of lace with the ends (13a,b) left free, and of a length equal to the separation of the two lowest eyelets on a shoe, may be provided centrally on the lace to prevent the lace slipping.

Description

2350773 AS THREADED A BILATERALLY AND LONGITUDINALLY STABLE SHOELACE

This invention relates to shoelaces as used in the iacing up of shoes that are provided with eyeietted quarter panels BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ordinarily a shoelace comprises of a length of woven textile cord of which both ends are fitted with rigid tags and as such is threaded on an alternate and bilateral configuration through the rows of eyelets present on each of the left hand and right hand quarter panels of a shoe, the pattern of threading through said eyelets being discretionary and can be various The shoelace should be able to slide through the pattern of eyelets without mechanical hindrance although resistance often is encountered due to friction and the fact that the shoelace body must simultaneously slide through many eyelets, especially at the time when tension is applied to the shoelace two free ends by these being manually pulled at the time of tieing to form a knot and bow once the shoe is shod onto a foot. Quite often following repetitive sequences of securing and releasing of the shoelace because of the uneven pulling force as applied by the right hand vis a vis the left hand by a right handed person and viceversa, it is usually found that one shoelace free end (most probably that pulled by the right hand) may be longer whilst the other shoelace free end (most probably that pulled by the left hand) may be correspondingly shorter, this causing difficulty in the knot and bow formation and requiring longitudinal realignment of the shoelace two free ends. Another unimportant but still irritating effect common with conventional shoelaces is that in the release sequences of a knotted shoelace the tag end of one or both of the shoelace free ends may be pulled back through the upper eyelets from which the free ends previously extended from OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The main object of the invention is to provide a shoelace in a configuration as conventional as possible yet provided with the means by which the shoelace will be prevented from being longitudinally displaced whenever tension is applied to either one or both of the shoelace two free ends A further object of the invention is to minimise if not obviate altogether the occurrences whereby the tag ends of the shoelace are accidentally pulled - 1 - back through and out of the upper eyelets during the release sequences required in the unknotting of a shoelace and the release of the shoe fit onto the foot by the prising apart of the shoe quarter panels and the pulling back of the shoelace free ends.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention hereafter referred to as the shoelace is illustrated in the accompanying two drawing sheets incorporating figures No.'s 1 to 10 inclusive.. Figure No. 1 illustrates the configuration of the shoelace

Figure No. 2 illustrates an incomplete threading of the shoelace here shown threaded through the two lower eyelets in both quarter panels of a shoe. Figure No.3 illustrates the attitude of the short cord free end as a tagged end of the shoelace is threaded into and pulled through an eyelet. Figure No.4 illustrates the attitude of a tagged end of the shoelace either just having been fully pulled forward through and clear of an eyelet or just approaching an eyelet in a shoelace pull back sequence. Figure No.5 illustrates the attitude of a tagged end of the shoelace in a shoelace pull-back sequence and shown a little further advanced than that shown in Fig. NoA, Figure No, 6 illustrates the attitude of a tagged end of the shoelace in the shoelace pull-back sequence and shown a little further advanced than that shown in fig. No,5 and it is at this stage the radially extended free end of the short cord offers the most resistance to further backward movement. Figure No. 7 illustrates the attitude of a tagged end of the shoelace after an excessive and deliberate pull-back force has been exerted on the shoelace body forcing the free end of the short cord to fold 180 degrees backward and allow the tag end assembly to pass backward through the eyelet. Figure No.8 illustrates an alternative mode to that shown in figure no.7 whereby an already threaded tagged end of the shoelace is retracted backward through an eyelet. Figure No.9 illustrates a configured bow at the upper pair of eyelets of a partially shown laced shoe, whereby were the shoelace tagged ends portions be pulled back through the central knot the short cord portions that extend from the bases of the tags encasing sleeves will prevent a full pull back by engaging the knot central constricting loop and stop further sliding - 2 of the shoelace tagged end through said central constricting loop Figure No. 10 illustrates the configuration of the shoelace as in figure no, 1 but in which the central equidistanly placed encasing sleeve is replaced by an equally equidistantly placed short length of cord that is medially and symmetrically partially secured to the main body of the shoelace cord Figure No. 11 illustrates the totally pliable configuration of the shoelace as illustrated in Figure No. 10 here showing, by way of example, one mode of lacing of the shoelace through the lower pairs of eyelets in the quarter panels of a shoe.

Figure No. 12 illustrates the vertical cross sectional view through the lower pair of eyelets and the median portion of the shoelace as it is laced through the said lower pair of eyelets as shown in Figure No. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODYMENT The basic embodyment of the present invention as shown in figures

Numbers 1 and 2 requires of the shoelace configuration that is to serve the purpose of lacing of a conventional shoe that incorporates two laterally opposing quarter panels (5) and (6) which correspondingly incorporate rows of eyelets (7)and (8), that said shoelace be made up of one length of woven textile cord of which both ends are stiffened by being encased by constricting sleeves to form tag ends (3a) and (3b) for easy insertion into and through eyelets (7) and (8) and further, more or less equidistant from both ends, the mid portion of the shoelace length of cord is tightly encased in a semi-rigid, flexible but not bendable encasing sleeve (4) of similar cross sectional dimension and material as the encasing sleeves forming tags (3a) and (3b), the length of the encasing sleeve (4) being, by way of example 3 cm for adult shoes, 2 cm for children's shoes and lesser still for infant shoes. The advantage in having cross sectional dimensional and material similarity of the encasing sleeve (4) relative to the encasing sleeves forming tags (3a) and (3b) is that these will be able to be applied to the shoelace cord in one operational sequence of the manufacturing process. A further embodyment of the invention is the inclusion of a short strand (9) of woven textile cord into each of the two the tag ends (3a) and (3b) configuration whereby the shrunk-on sleeves forming the tag ends (3a) and (3b) firmly grip and hold the encased ends of the short strands (9) against the encased ends of the main shoelace portions (2a) and (2b) allowing the 3 free ends of the short strands (9) to freely extend out from the shrunk- on sleeves forming tag ends (3a) and (3b) by way of example the extension being sufficent at l cm length, to extend by a short length along and adjacent the main lace body (2a) and (2b).

The embodyment of freely bendable cord short strands (13a) (13b), one at each side of the central portion of the shoelace, said central portion being encompassed by encasing sleeve (4), are superfluous to requirement as the encasing sleeve (4) is sufficent in immobilising the shoelace in its medially laced configuration, as in figure No,2, but such embodyment of freely bendable cord short strands (13a) (13b) is not superfluous if it is desirable for the central portion of the shoelace to retain its pliability, unlike as with encasing sleeve (4), whereby this can be achieved as shown in figure No. 10 by securing this short cord length (11) by either welding glueing or sewing thread (12) along the short cord length (11) central longitudinal portion to the longitudinally central portion of the shoelace cord body (2a)(2b) whereby the two unsecured and free short cord ends portions (13a) and (13b) are made to extend lengthwise respectively both ways beyound the secured mid-portion of the short cord (11) more or less parallel to and adjacent to the main shoelace cord body (2a) (2b), these free short lengths (13a)(13b) having the same purpose and function relative to eyelets as the free short strands (9) at the shoelace tag ends,. The invention first objective is carried into effect by preferably although not necessarily initiating the threading of the shoelace sequentially and bilaterally into and along the two rows of eyelets (7) and (8) commencing from the lowest placed pair of eyelets and from the inner face of the quarter panels (5) and (6) so that the shoelace strands (2a) and (2b) can be further threaded upward through the next pair of eyelets situated above the lowest pair of eyelets at which point the bilateral and longitudinal stability of the shoelace is established whereby any greater pulling force applied to the shoelace free strands (2a) or (2b) will not succeed in causing the shoelace to slide and thus be longitudinally displaced from its centrally aligned bilaterally lengthwise balanced configuration. The effect of the blocking of the shoelace longitudinal displacement is brought about by the inability of the encasing sleeve (4) to flex and bend as the free cord of the shoelace is able to whenever the cord is put under tension to slide through eyelets thus 4 as the cord tries to drag the encasing sleeve (4) after itself through the appropriate lower eyelet so it is because the encasing sleeve (4) cannot bend to pass into the eyelet that the shoelace portion encased in the encasing sleeve (4) remains beneath the eyelets at the lower ends of the quarter panels to span and bridge the distace between the pair of the two lower eyelets. This first objective is also achieved with the alternative configuration that permits the mid portion of the shoelace configuration that incorporates the shoelace mid portion that incorporates the short cord length (11) of which free short ends (1 3a) (1 3b) to remain fully bendable whereby following the insertion of the shoelace through the lower pair of eyelets as the free short ends (13a)(13b) impinge onto the periphery of the actual eyelets the free short ends (13a)(13b) will bend and spread outward thus blocking the further movement of the respective shoelace portions (2a) (2b) as these are pulled through the respective eyelets (7) (8) ' The invention second objective, it being the prevention of the unintentional withdrawal of the shoelace from the threaded upper eyelets as the knotted shoelace is undone and the shoe quarter panels prised apart to release the shoe (1) grip on the foot, is achieved by way of the incorporation at each tagged end (3a) and (3b) of a short length of cord (9) that protrudes from the shrunk-on tag encasing sleeve to extend for a short distance alongside the shoelace cord (2a) and (2b). These short lengths of cord (9) offer no appreciable added restriction to the tagged ends (3a)and (3b) as these tagged ends are inserted into and passed through eyelets as and when the shoe (1) is fitted with the shoelace the shoelace cord (2a) and (2b) and the short cord lengths (9) passing and moving forward through the eyelets side by side, but when the shoelace cord portions (2a) or (2b) unintentionally and with a normal strenght of pull force are pulled backward then each of the free ends of the short cord lengths (9) as they come into contact with the periphery of an eyelet cannot easily follow the shoelace cord portions (2a) and (2b) into and through the eyelet and thus as a consequence are forced to bend and move radially outward until the root of the tag is in close proximity to the eyelet where the now outstretched free end of the short cord length (9) does obstruct the passage into and through the eyelet of the tag end (3a) or (3b). Of course if an intentionally excessive backward pull is exerted on the shoelace body (2a)or(2b) the shoelace tag end (3a) or (3b) - 5 - short cord lengths (9) free ends are now further bent by a full 180 degrees reversed orientation and can thus with the intentionally excessive pull force now be pulled through the eyelet to exit the eyelet. The very fact that he shoelace free ends can now be more secure in so far that these ends cannot unintentionally be withdrawn backward through eyelets, see figure No 6, or the cord slipping backward through the constricting loop (10) of a bow as shown in figure No. 9 here shown already formed but, say, were the bow in the process of autogenous loosening up the short free ends of short cords (9) that extend from the bases of the tags cannot pass backward though the constricting loop (10) and thus prevent the free tagged ends of the shoelace from passing backward through the bow constricting loop (10) and so prevent the bow from totally coming undone. The features of the shoelace that enable the shoelace to maintain a medially 16 and laterally balanced longitudinal alignment when fitted to a shoe and that can be relied upon not to unintentionally slide backward either through an eyelet (7) or (8) or through the constricting loop (10) of a formed but loosening bow, said features thus permit the use of a shoelace shorter by more or less 20% than would ordinarily be required according to current practice with a conventionally configured lace.

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Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1- A shoelace of finite length having a body of woven textile cord

   configuration whereby the body of woven textile cord has two tagged ends whereby each end is characterised by the rigid and constricting sleeve that encases the said end of the shoelace cord body and which same constricting sleeve also further encases in parallel with the encased end portion of the cord main body the encased length portion of a short length of cord, this short length of cord being either a folded back portion continuous with the main cord body or being a separate length of the cord body, whereby the emerging short free end of the said short length of cord body freely extends from the base of the encasing sleeve that characterises the shoelace tagged end to extend for a short distance alongside the not encased shoelace cord body, 2- A shoelace of finite length as claimed in Claim 1 whereby at a location equidistant from the shoelace two tag bearing ends and as tightly encased within a shrunk-on sleeve as the said shoelace tagged ends is a portion of the shoelace cord body length that is tightly encased and restrained within a slightly flexible but not bendable thin-wailed shrunk-on sleeve that tightly encases the said mid-length portion of the shoelace cord for a length of the cord body that measures in length slightly less than the measured distance between the lower pair of eyelets of a shoe in which the quarter panels rest flat on the upper of the said shoe and onto which the shoelace is to be laced on, 3- A shoelace of finite length as claimed in Claim 1 whereby at a location equidistant from the shoelace two tagged ends and onto a short longitudinally medially placed portion of the shoelace cord main body is securely affixed a short length of cord whereby portions of the two ends of the said short length of cord for a short distance from the short length of cord actual two ends remain detached and free to bend away from the main cord body of the shoelace whilst resting alongside the main cord body. 4- A shoelace substantially as described herein with reference to figures Numbered 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings 7