Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Strap tighteners – Accordion straps
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-02
2001-09-18
Brittain, James R. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Strap tighteners
Accordion straps
C024S714600, C036S050500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289558
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to footwear. More particularly, the present invention relates to a low-friction lacing system that provides equilibrated tightening pressure across a wearer's foot for sports boots and shoes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There currently exists a number of mechanisms and methods for tightening a shoe or boot around a wearer's foot. A traditional method comprises threading a lace in a zig-zag pattern through eyelets that run in two parallel rows attached to opposite sides of the shoe. The shoe is tightened by first tensioning opposite ends of the threaded lace to pull the two rows of eyelets towards the midline of the foot and then tying the ends in a knot to maintain the tension. A number of drawbacks are associated with this type of lacing system. First, laces do not adequately distribute the tightening force along the length of the threaded zone, due to friction between the lace and the eyelets, so that portions of the lace are slack and other portions are in tension. Consequently, the higher tensioned portions of the shoe are tighter around certain sections of the foot, particularly the ankle portions which are closer to the lace ends. This is uncomfortable and can adversely affect performance in some sports.
Another drawback associated with conventional laces is that it is often difficult to untighten or redistribute tension on the lace, as the wearer must loosen the lace from each of the many eyelets through which the laces are threaded. The lace is not easily released by simply untightening the knot. The friction between the lace and the eyelets often maintains the toe portions and sometimes much of the foot in tension even when the knot is released. Consequently, the user must often loosen the lace individually from each of the eyelets. This is especially tedious if the number of eyelets is high, such as in ice-skating boots or other specialized high performance footwear.
Another tightening mechanism comprises buckles which clamp together to tighten the shoe around the wearer's foot. Typically, three to four or more buckles are positioned over the upper portion of the shoe. The buckles may be quickly clamped together and drawn apart to tighten and loosen the shoe around the wearer's foot. Although buckles may be easily and quickly tightened and untightened, they also have certain drawbacks. Specifically, buckles isolate the closure pressure across three or four points along the wearer's foot corresponding to the locations of the buckles. This is undesirable in many circumstances, such as for the use of sport boots where the wearer desires a force line that is evenly distributed along the length of the foot. Another drawback of buckles is that they are typically only useful for hard plastic or other rigid material boots. Buckles are not as practical for use with softer boots, such as ice skates or snowboard boots.
There is therefore a need for a tightening system for footwear that does not suffer from the aforementioned drawbacks. Such a system should automatically distribute lateral tightening forces along the length of the wearer's ankle and foot. The tightness of the shoe should desirably be easy to loosen and incrementally adjust. The tightening system should close tightly and should not loosen up with continued use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is provided in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a closure system for drawing first and second sides of an article of footwear towards each other to tighten the footwear around a foot. The closure system comprises a rotatable spool for receiving a lace, the spool rotatable in a first direction to take up lace and a second direction to release lace. A knob is connected to the spool such that the spool can be rotated in the first direction in response to rotation of the knob. A releasable lock is provided for preventing rotation of the spool in the second direction. Releasing the lock permits the spool to rotate in the second direction in response to tension the lace, but the spool is not rotatable in the second direction in response to rotation of the knob. In one embodiment, the knob is only rotatable in the first direction.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a footwear lacing system. The system comprises a footwear member, including a first and second opposing sides configured to fit around a foot. A plurality of opposing cable guide members are positioned on the opposing sides. A cable is guided by the guide members, and has a first end and a second end. The first and second ends are removably secured with respect to the spool. A tightening mechanism is attached to the footwear and coupled to the spool. The tightening mechanism includes a control for winding the cable around the spool to place tension on the cable, thereby pulling opposing sides of the footwear towards each other.
Preferably, the first and second ends of the cable are removably connected to the spool such that the cable may be removed from the footwear lacing system without removing the spool. In one embodiment, the cable comprises a plurality of strands which, preferably, are secured together at each of the first and second ends. The strands in one embodiment are secured by welds.
Preferably, the footwear further comprises at least one expansion limiting band, which resides in an expansion limiting plane. The expansion limiting band in one embodiment surrounds the wearer's ankle, such that the expansion limiting plane extends generally horizontally through the footwear.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dynamic footwear lacing system. The lacing system comprises a footwear member including at least a foot portion and an ankle portion, and first and second opposing sides configured to fit around a foot. A plurality of opposing guide members are positioned along the opposing sides. A cable slideably extends along the guide members, such that anterior flexing of the leg at the ankle causes a loosening of the lace in the ankle portion and a corresponding tightening of the lace in the foot portion and subsequent posterior flexing of the leg at the ankle permits a tightening of the lace in the ankle portion and a corresponding loosening of the lace in the foot portion. An expansion limiting strap surrounds at least a portion of the footwear.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of balancing tension along the length of a lacing zone in a boot. The method comprises the steps of providing a boot having first and second opposed sets of guide members, and a lace extending back and forth between the first and second opposed guide members. The guide members define a pathway through which the lace slides, and a rotatable tightening mechanism is provided on the boot for retracting lace thereby advancing the first and second set of opposed guide members towards each other to tighten the boot. The tightening mechanism is rotated to retract lace thereby advancing the first and second opposing sets of guide members towards each other to tighten the boot. The lace is permitted to slide through the guide members, to distribute the tightening force along the length of the guide members and to equilibrate tightening force along the length of the lacing zone on the boot. Expansion in at least one plane through the lacing zone is limited by fastening an expansion limiting strap in that plane.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of preferred embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims.
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patent: 908704 (1909-01-01), Sprinkle
patent: 1060422 (1913-04-01), Bowdish
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patent: 1090438 (1914-03-01), Worth et al.
patent: 1170472 (1916-02-01), Barber
patent: 1288859 (1918-12-01), Feller et al.
patent: 1393188 (1921-10-01), Whiteman
patent: 1412486 (1922-04-01), Paine
pat
BOA Technology, Inc.
Brittain James R.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
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