Boots – shoes – and leggings – Uppers – Closure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-16
2004-01-06
Patterson, M. D. (Department: 3728)
Boots, shoes, and leggings
Uppers
Closure
C024S712000, C024S713000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06671980
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a footwear, more particularly to a footwear which is easy to wear and remove.
2. Description of the Related Art
In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/137,902, the applicant disclosed an anchoring assembly on a footwear body. The anchoring assembly includes a stationary member, a pivotable member, a pivot unit and a releasable fastener unit. The stationary member is fixed on the footwear body. The pivotable member is provided with a footwear lace stringing part that is formed with at least one eyelet. The pivot unit is provided on the stationary and pivotable members to permit pivoting movement of the pivotable member relative to the stationary member about a pivot axis between a footwear tightening position and a footwear loosening position. The releasable fastener unit is provided on the stationary and pivotable members and releasably retains the pivotable member at the footwear tightening position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a footwear which is easy to wear and remove and which has fasteners that can prevent undesired loosening.
The footwear according to this invention includes a sole, an upper, a closure member, and an anchoring assembly.
The upper is connected to the sole, and has a toe portion and a heel portion. The upper is formed with an opening adjacent to the heel portion to permit slipping of a foot into the upper. The upper further has a tongue that is connected to the toe portion and that extends in a longitudinal direction, and first and second closure tabs that are spaced apart from each other in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and that are disposed to overlap opposite lateral sides of the tongue, respectively.
The closure member is provided on the upper, extends between the first and second closure tabs, and is connected to at least one of the first and second closure tabs. The closure member is movable from a loosening state, where the closure member allows limited movement of the first and second closure tabs away from each other, to a tightened state, where the closure member pulls the first and second closure tabs toward each other to tighten the shoe around the foot.
The anchoring assembly includes a stationary member, a movable member, and a releasable fastener unit.
The stationary member is mounted securely on the second closure tab, whereas the movable member is connected to the closure member and is movable relative to the stationary member between a footwear tightening position, in which the closure member is moved to the tightened state, and a footwear loosening position, in which the closure member is moved to the loosening state.
The releasable fastener unit is provided on the stationary and movable members for releasably retaining the movable member at the footwear tightening position. The releasable fastener unit includes a positioning member provided on the stationary member, a first fastener member mounted movably on the positioning member, a second fastener member provided on the movable member and fastened releasably to the first fastener member, and a resilient member for urging the first fastener member away from the positioning member.
The first fastener member is movable relative to the second fastener member between an engaging position, where the first and second fastener members engage each other to retain the movable member at the footwear tightening position, and a disengaging position, where the first and second fastener members disengage from each other to permit movement of the movable member to the footwear loosening position.
The first fastener member includes a fastening portion fastened releasably to the second fastener member, and a pulling portion opposite to the fastening portion.
The anchoring assembly further includes a pull string unit. The pull string unit includes a string coupled to the pulling portion of the first fastener member and one of the sole and the upper. The string is operable so as to move the first fastener member to the disengaging position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3200458 (1965-08-01), Marzocchi
patent: 5230171 (1993-07-01), Cardaropoli
patent: 5353483 (1994-10-01), Louviere
patent: 5469640 (1995-11-01), Nichols
patent: 5537763 (1996-07-01), Donnadieu et al.
patent: 6032387 (2000-03-01), Johnson
patent: 6351897 (2002-03-01), Smith
patent: 6467194 (2002-10-01), Johnson
patent: 6568104 (2003-05-01), Liu
patent: 2003/0150135 (2003-08-01), Liu
Foley & Lardner
Patterson M. D.
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