Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Drawstring – laced-fastener – or separate essential... – Includes separate device for holding drawn portion of lacing
Utility Patent
1998-10-21
2001-01-02
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Drawstring, laced-fastener, or separate essential...
Includes separate device for holding drawn portion of lacing
Utility Patent
active
06167598
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shoelace tightening and loosening device. More specifically, the invention relates to a device that permits drawstrings on laces to be tightened and loosened without retying.
(2) Background
Some people, particularly, young children and elderly, may have difficulty tying their shoes, either because they have not yet learned to tie their shoes or because arthritis or other physical disability makes it difficult to manipulate the laces.
Various related products have come on the market to address this problem. One such product is sold under the trademark BUNJEEZ®. The BUNJEEZ® product is designed to convert conventional tennis shoes or athletic shoes having elastic laces into slip-on shoes. It is designed to hold the laces in a permanently fixed tightness. It does not provide for easy adjustment of the shoe laces so that the shoe can be tightened or loosened conveniently. Thus, it is not likely to be suitable for actual sports wear, since it is often desirable to be able to tighten the laces to provide additional support of the athlete's foot. Another product marketed under the trademark EASY LACES® and manufactured by Stretch-Lace Company, Norwood, Mass., is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,132,390 and 4,102,019. This device having multiple parts suffers from a difficulty of use coupled with increased manufacturing costs and relatively poor durability.
In view of the foregoing, it would desirable to have a better device for tightening and loosening laces that is inexpensive to manufacture, durable, and easy to use.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus for providing easy tightening and loosening of laces is disclosed. A molded unit having a top, two ends, and two sides is formed. Each end may be molded or tooled to define a first bore and a portion of a guide channel. The top is molded or tooled to define a second portion of the guide channel having a cross-dimension greater than a cross-dimension of the first bore. The first bore, first portion of the guide channel and the second portion of the guide channel corresponding to one end are contiguous. In one embodiment, each end further defines a second bore that is not contiguous with the first bore or guide channel through which a lace may be secured.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3066370 (1962-12-01), Epstein
patent: 3296669 (1967-01-01), Elder, Jr.
patent: 3345707 (1967-10-01), Rita
patent: 4884321 (1989-12-01), Holub
Pransky Jerome C.
Weaver Thomas S.
Blakely & Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman
Brittain James R.
Smart Stuff, LLC
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