A tensioning system for articles of footwear and articles of apparel is disclosed. The tensioning system includes a tensioning member that is tightened or loosened using a motorized tensioning device for winding and unwinding the tensioning member on a spool. The motorized tensioning device includes a torque transmitting system that allows for incremental tightening, incremental loosening and full loosening of the tensioning member.

Provided is a device having an improved structure that lowers the unit cost and failure rate of a product by reducing the number of components and improves the assemblability, consistency in quality, operational stability, and convenience of future servicing of the product. In the device, a shaft and a shaft coupling part of a winding drum are simply coupled without a separate coupling member as a protruding portion formed on the shaft becomes caught in a catching portion formed on the shaft coupling part.

Provided is a device having an improved structure that lowers the unit cost and failure rate of a product by reducing the number of components and improves the assemblability, consistency in quality, operational stability, and convenience of future servicing of the product. In the device, a shaft and a shaft coupling part of a winding drum are simply coupled without a separate coupling member as a protruding portion formed on the shaft becomes caught in a catching portion formed on the shaft coupling part.

A cord lock includes various components used to slidably adjust a cord length, such as one or more housing components that releasably clamp around the cord. In one aspect, the cord lock includes an arrangement of magnets that bias the cord-lock housing components away from one another, in order to secure the cord between the housing components. The housing components can be pressed towards one another to slidably adjust the cord. In a further aspect, the cord lock may also include a magnetized excess-cord retainer that attaches to a portion of the cord and that releasably attaches to the cord lock in order to help gather excess cord pulled through the cord lock.

A cord lock includes various components used to slidably adjust a cord length, such as one or more housing components that releasably clamp around the cord. In one aspect, the cord lock includes an arrangement of magnets that bias the cord-lock housing components away from one another, in order to secure the cord between the housing components. The housing components can be pressed towards one another to slidably adjust the cord. In a further aspect, the cord lock may also include a magnetized excess-cord retainer that attaches to a portion of the cord and that releasably attaches to the cord lock in order to help gather excess cord pulled through the cord lock.

Provided is a lace adjustment device for adjusting a lace provided at a shoe or clothes, the device including: a housing having a lace insertion hole into which the lace is inserted; a fixing lever, disposed in the housing, for fixing the lace inserted into the housing; and an elastic member disposed in the housing and providing an elastic force to the fixing lever such that the fixing lever presses the lace inserted into the housing. According to the lace adjustment device according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a user may conveniently adjust a length of a lace provided at a shoe, clothes, or the like by simply pressing a button instead of directly pulling and tying, from both sides, the lace attached to the shoe, the clothes, or the like.

The Lace Ratchet Device (LRD) facilitates lace fastening and release. The LRD has two states: active and inactive. In the active position the device works as a lace ratchet allowing the lace to be pulled forwards but restricting any lace motion backwards. After fastening the lace remains fastened until the LRD is switched into inactive state by manually pressing a lever. Each LRD has a turning gate rotatably installed diagonally in a channel with front end which is covered with sheet metal with sharp edge. A preloaded spring keeps the LRD in active position while the lever is not pressed. The LRD doesn't employ serrated blades which cause accelerated lace wear. Instead, the LRD's smooth front edge side and channel surfaces minimize lace wear. LRD pairs are suitable for fastening footwear and can be coupled with a clasp which locks dangling laces' front ends.

The Lace Ratchet Device (LRD) facilitates lace fastening and release. The LRD has two states: active and inactive. In the active position the device works as a lace ratchet allowing the lace to be pulled forwards but restricting any lace motion backwards. After fastening the lace remains fastened until the LRD is switched into inactive state by manually pressing a lever. Each LRD has a turning gate rotatably installed diagonally in a channel with front end which is covered with sheet metal with sharp edge. A preloaded spring keeps the LRD in active position while the lever is not pressed. The LRD doesn't employ serrated blades which cause accelerated lace wear. Instead, the LRD's smooth front edge side and channel surfaces minimize lace wear. LRD pairs are suitable for fastening footwear and can be coupled with a clasp which locks dangling laces' front ends.

An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure, wherein the upper includes a footwear lacing system having a first panel with a plurality of first lateral receiving elements, a tongue having a plurality of first medial receiving elements, a plurality of second medial receiving elements, a first aperture, a second aperture, a second panel having a plurality of second lateral receiving elements, and a cord lock coupled to a rear side of the tongue. A user may thread the laces through a cord lock, interweaving the laces sequentially between a plurality of medial and lateral receiving elements and tighten the lacing system to longitudinally align the receiving elements without any laces traversing the tongue of the footwear, thereby saving time in use, optimizing shoe fit, relieving potential discomfort, and exposing the tongue of the shoe for placement of shoe designers' logos.

An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure, wherein the upper includes a footwear lacing system having a first panel with a plurality of first lateral receiving elements, a tongue having a plurality of first medial receiving elements, a plurality of second medial receiving elements, a first aperture, a second aperture, a second panel having a plurality of second lateral receiving elements, and a cord lock coupled to a rear side of the tongue. A user may thread the laces through a cord lock, interweaving the laces sequentially between a plurality of medial and lateral receiving elements and tighten the lacing system to longitudinally align the receiving elements without any laces traversing the tongue of the footwear, thereby saving time in use, optimizing shoe fit, relieving potential discomfort, and exposing the tongue of the shoe for placement of shoe designers' logos.