Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Drawstring – laced-fastener – or separate essential... – Includes separate device for holding drawn portion of lacing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2003-01-07
Sakran, Victor (Department: 3677)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Drawstring, laced-fastener, or separate essential...
Includes separate device for holding drawn portion of lacing
C024S712500, C024S713500, C024S713600, C024S714600, C036S050100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502286
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present application is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application PCT/EP99/02239 filed Apr. 1, 1999, which claims priority from German Patent Application 19814672.8, filed Apr. 1, 1998.
The present invention relates to a device FOR securing ribbons or laces, especially for securing end portions of at least one shoe lace.
PRIOR ART
Proposals for such devices are described in EP 0314628 A2, EP 0693260 A2, FR 1518038, DE 4209425 C1, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,508, U.S. Pat. No. 3,345,707, U.S. Pat. No. 948,071. The devices described in the aforementioned documents are especially designed for children of kindergarten age who have not yet learned to tie a shoe laces themselves and are designed to facilitate or eliminate the tying of the shoes.
For example, in DE4209425 C1 a press button for securing the shoe laces is described wherein a circular movement of an inwardly positioned ring effects that the shoe laces are clamped.
In particular, in EP 0693260 A2 a device for securing end portions of shoe laces is described wherein by rotation of a cap element relative to base element and/or by rotation of the base element relative to the cap element end portions or shoe laces can be wound onto a hub.
The known devices, however, have a series of disadvantages. Often, the known devices are comprised of relatively many individual parts, a fact which increases the production cost and may result in early wear of the devices. In particular, some of the known devices have spring means for securing the shoe laces so that upon weakening of the spring properties of the spring means the devices become inoperable. Furthermore, the known devices secure the shoe laces only in a relatively small area of the shoe laces with result that the fixation of the shoe laces is relatively weak and moreover, a large part of the shoe laces is accessible in an unprotected way. This causes problems, in particular, for high top shoes with correspondingly long shoe laces.
The device described in EP 0693260 A2 has the disadvantage that the shoe laces due to the continuous circumference of the hub cannot be precisely received and guided into the circumferential groove. A further disadvantage of the described device is the configuration of the hub which secured the shoe laces only unsatisfactorily, so that loosening of the shoe laces is possible. Due to the axial-symmetrical shape and the continuous circumferences of the hub and the circumferential groove, as unsatisfactory clamping at the shoe laces results because only a radially acting tension force but not a tangentially acting tension force, resulting mainly from the turning action, clamps the shoe laces in the groove.
Further disadvantages of the prior art relates to unsatisfactory storage capacities of the known devices for the end portions of the ribbons and laces to be secured. It is a disadvantage in this context that longer portions of, for example, shoe laces on high top shoes as well as clothing ribbons of jackets as well as their end portions, such as, for example, shoe lace tips, cannot be safely protected and stored in order to prevent soiling, wear, or the potential for an accident by getting caught or by tripping
Further disadvantages of the prior art are the unsatisfactory protection of the device with regard to functional disturbances by soiling, for example, in the “outdoor” field, and, furthermore, are to be seen in that a slipping of the devices relative to the shoe or the piece of clothing cannot be prevented so that in most cases both hands are required for operating the devices.
The present invention has the object to provide an improved device for securing the shoe laces which avoids the disadvantages of the known devices.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is solved according to the invention by a device for securing ribbons, wherein a base element, comprising at least two openings spaced from its rotational axis in a first flat structure, as well as a cap element, comprising at least two openings in a second flat structure, which is provided at a spacing opposite the first flat structure, wherein the cap element said the base element are connected to one another such that the cap element is rotatable relative to the base element and in that, in at least one position of the cap element relative to the base element, two openings of the base element cooperate with two further openings of the cap element such that an end portion of a ribbon can be guided through a pair of cooperating openings and another said portion of the same ribbon or of another ribbon can be guided through another pair of cooperating openings, and the end portions can be wound up upon rotation of the cap element relative to the base element and/or by rotation of the base element relative to the cap element. The device for securing ribbons, especially shoe laces, is characterized according to the invention by the following features:
in the spacing between first and second flat structures, a hub element is arranged which is axial-symmetrical and non-rotatable and comprises teeth which are arranged staggered to be positioned in gaps which have a V-shaped groove interrupted alternatingly and staggered and tapers toward the interior of the hub element for receiving windings;
the first flat structure comprises at least two openings spaced from the hub element;
the end portions can be wound onto the hub element by rotation of the cap element relative to the base element and the hub element and/or by a rotation of the base element of the hub element relative to the cap element.
The winding of the end potions of the ribbon makes it possible to provide a safe and uncomplicated securing of the end portions of the ribbons which are thus protected substantially against wear by bending, shearing, or tearing. The device according to the invention makes it possible to wind the end portions of the ribbon onto the hub element, for example, by a simple rotation of the cap element relative to the base element, so that further individual parts, especially spring means, can be dispensed with. This makes it possible to provide a simple and wear-protected manipulation at the device according to the invention.
An especially safe and fast receiving and securing of the ribbons is provided by the hub element according to the invention. The hub element is embodied separately as an individual parts and can thus be produced especially simply. This hub element, by means of the teeth staggered to be positioned in gaps, has a non-continues edge which, upon rotation of be cap element relative to the base element, performs a resulting wave movement which guides the ribbon into the groove which tapers toward the interior of the hub element for receiving the ribbon windings. The novel securing action of the ribbons is realized by the hub element according to the invention comprising staggered teeth which guide the ribbon during the first rotations of the cap element relative to the base element into V-shaped, alternatingly interrupted groove, which is formed by the teeth, staggered to be positioned in gaps, and tapers in the direction toward the interior of the hub element, for receiving ribbon windings wherein the ribbon is clamped especially tightly and safely in the groove because of the staggered arrangement of the teeth. The ribbon secures itself according to the invention not only during the first half rotation by clamping in the innermost area of the tapering groove but also during the further rotations the ribbon is clamped effectively between the teeth which, according to the invention, are staggered and arranged perpendicularly to the acting tension force. A sufficient securing of the ribbon or the ribbons is thus achieved already upon the first rotations of the cap element relative to the base element, without the ribbons arrested such having to be secured by a further winding up or winding about by means of further ribbon windings. Thus, an especially cafe securing action results especially also for very short ribbons.
It is advan
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Sakran Victor
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