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.

An article of footwear comprises an upper defining an interior void, a sole structure attached to the upper, a cable attached to the upper and moveable in a tightening direction to decrease a volume of the interior void of the upper and in a loosening direction to increase a volume of the interior void of the upper, and a locking device operable between a locked state to prevent movement of the cable and an unlocked state to permit movement of the cable, the locking having a housing attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving the cable therethrough. The housing includes a pulley rotatably disposed therein, whereby the pulley is engaged by the cable and configured cooperate with the housing to provide audible or tactile feedback when the pulley is rotated by cable.

An article of footwear comprises an upper defining an interior void, a sole structure attached to the upper, a cable attached to the upper and moveable in a tightening direction to decrease a volume of the interior void of the upper and in a loosening direction to increase a volume of the interior void of the upper, and a locking device operable between a locked state to prevent movement of the cable and an unlocked state to permit movement of the cable, the locking having a housing attached to one of the upper and the sole structure and receiving the cable therethrough. The housing includes a pulley rotatably disposed therein, whereby the pulley is engaged by the cable and configured cooperate with the housing to provide audible or tactile feedback when the pulley is rotated by cable.

The invention relates to a quick lacing system (10) for releasably fixing at least one shoelace (20) to a housing (30), which has a channel (40) for feeding through at least one shoelace (20), wherein the channel (40) is at least partly made of a movably mounted rocker (50) with a substantially concave interior (60), which is oriented in the direction of the channel (40), on a first side and at least partly of an eccentric jaw (70), which interacts with the rocker (50) at least in a closed position of the quick lacing system (10), on a second side substantially opposite the rocker. The invention also relates to a shoe equipped with such a quick lacing system (10).

An attachment combination for positioning an accessory along an elongate structure such as a shoe lace a shoe strap, arm or finger where the accessory has a loop attached to the accessory that at least in part holds the accessory to the elongate structure. In one form the accessory has a closed loop held inside a releasable clasp that has an open position for receiving the closed loop and the elongate structure and a closed position that holds the elongate structure and the closed loop together in a pocket formed by the releasable clap. The releasable clasp is a flexible strap having joinable sections that when spaced apart allow the strap to receive both the loop band and the elongate structure and when joined together surround the elongate structure and hold the loop band together with the elongate structure. The joinable sections may be the hook and loop portions of a hook and loop type strap. In another form the releasable clasp may be attached directly to the accessory.

An attachment combination for positioning an accessory along an elongate structure such as a shoe lace a shoe strap, arm or finger where the accessory has a loop attached to the accessory that at least in part holds the accessory to the elongate structure. In one form the accessory has a closed loop held inside a releasable clasp that has an open position for receiving the closed loop and the elongate structure and a closed position that holds the elongate structure and the closed loop together in a pocket formed by the releasable clap. The releasable clasp is a flexible strap having joinable sections that when spaced apart allow the strap to receive both the loop band and the elongate structure and when joined together surround the elongate structure and hold the loop band together with the elongate structure. The joinable sections may be the hook and loop portions of a hook and loop type strap. In another form the releasable clasp may be attached directly to the accessory.

An article of footwear, motorized lacing system, and method includes a motor, a transmission, operatively coupled to the motor, a power source, operatively coupled to the motor, a lace spool, operatively coupled to the motor via the transmission, configured to spool and unspool the lace based on operation of the motor, a printed circuit board, and a housing. The housing contains the motor, the transmission, the power source, the lace spool and the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board positioned between an interior surface of the housing and at least one of the power source and the motor, wherein the interior surface includes a post that extends through a hole formed in the printed circuit board. A flexing of the interior surface causes force on the housing to be at least partially imparted on the at least one of the power source, the transmission, and the motor.

An article of footwear, method, and motorized lacing system includes a motor, including a motor shaft, a spool, coupled to the motor shaft, configured to spool and unspool the lace based on the turning of the motor shaft, a processor circuit, and a three-dimensional encoder. The three-dimensional encoder defines a major axis and has a surface having a tabs extending from a drum, an optical sensor, positioned within optical range of the cylindrical encoder, configured to output a signal to the processor circuit indicative of a detected one of the tabs, and a beam break, positioned between the three-dimensional encoder and the optical sensor, forming a pair of slits. The optical sensor is positioned to view the tabs through the pair of slits, wherein the processor circuit is configured to operate the motor based, at least in part, on the signal as received from the optical sensor.

Devices and method are disclosed for provision of a quick release lacing system for shoes. A lace is fitted with a releasable connector that can be activated manually or automatically to disconnect the laces, allowing the wearer to then pull the laces party or fully off the shoe in a single movement. Such tools are particularly useful for sporting and tactical shoes, wherein the wearer may have a need to quickly extract their foot from the shoe, such as in an emergency situation.