A closure mechanism for an article of footwear is provided. The article of footwear having an upper comprising a lateral sidewall and a medial sidewall, a vamp, an ankle opening, a first tension member, a second tension member, and a slider. The first tension member being coupled to the lateral sidewall portion and the second tension member being coupled to the medial sidewall at each of a first end near the vamp, an intermediate point at the ankle opening, and a second end. The slider may be coupled to and movable along the tension members from a first position at the vamp to a second position at the ankle opening, such that moving the slider from the first position to the second position operatively reduces a maximum size of the ankle opening.

A closure mechanism for an article of footwear is provided. The article of footwear having an upper comprising a lateral sidewall and a medial sidewall, a vamp, an ankle opening, a first tension member, a second tension member, and a slider. The first tension member being coupled to the lateral sidewall portion and the second tension member being coupled to the medial sidewall at each of a first end near the vamp, an intermediate point at the ankle opening, and a second end. The slider may be coupled to and movable along the tension members from a first position at the vamp to a second position at the ankle opening, such that moving the slider from the first position to the second position operatively reduces a maximum size of the ankle opening.

A reel based closure device includes a housing, a tension member, a spool that is rotatably positioned within the housing, and a tightening component that is positioned axially above the spool and that is operably coupled therewith so that an operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the housing to wind the tension member about the spool. The reel based closure device also includes a coupling component that is separate from the tension member and that frictionally engages with a distal end of the tension member so that the coupling component is removably fixed to the tension member. The spool component includes a coupling feature within which the coupling component is positioned to attach the tension member to the spool.

A reel based closure device includes a housing, a tension member, a spool that is rotatably positioned within the housing, and a tightening component that is positioned axially above the spool and that is operably coupled therewith so that an operation of the tightening component causes the spool to rotate within the housing to wind the tension member about the spool. The reel based closure device also includes a coupling component that is separate from the tension member and that frictionally engages with a distal end of the tension member so that the coupling component is removably fixed to the tension member. The spool component includes a coupling feature within which the coupling component is positioned to attach the tension member to the spool.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding device that can correctly and separately rotate and drive two winding units by changing a rotation direction of a handle. The present invention is a winding device (10) including a first rotation shaft (11) that rotates and drives a first string winding unit (D1), a second rotation shaft (12) arranged coaxially with the first rotation shaft (11) to rotate and drive a second string winding unit (D2), a first gear (G1) coupled to the first rotation shaft (11), a second gear (G2) coupled to the second rotation shaft (12), a sliding gear member (40) arranged between the first and second gears (G1, G2) and including a third gear (G3) and a fourth gear (G4) respectively engaged with the first gear (G1) and the second gear (G2), a handle (50) including a gear accommodation portion (51) that accommodates the first to fourth gears (G1 to G4), an inclined groove (55) formed in an inner surface of the gear accommodation portion (51), and an engagement projection (45) that is formed on an outer surface of the sliding gear member (40), engages the inclined groove (55), and is slidable in the inclined groove (55).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a winding device that can correctly and separately rotate and drive two winding units by changing a rotation direction of a handle. The present invention is a winding device (10) including a first rotation shaft (11) that rotates and drives a first string winding unit (D1), a second rotation shaft (12) arranged coaxially with the first rotation shaft (11) to rotate and drive a second string winding unit (D2), a first gear (G1) coupled to the first rotation shaft (11), a second gear (G2) coupled to the second rotation shaft (12), a sliding gear member (40) arranged between the first and second gears (G1, G2) and including a third gear (G3) and a fourth gear (G4) respectively engaged with the first gear (G1) and the second gear (G2), a handle (50) including a gear accommodation portion (51) that accommodates the first to fourth gears (G1 to G4), an inclined groove (55) formed in an inner surface of the gear accommodation portion (51), and an engagement projection (45) that is formed on an outer surface of the sliding gear member (40), engages the inclined groove (55), and is slidable in the inclined groove (55).

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and a first cable movable in a tightening direction to move the upper into a tightened state and movable in a loosening direction to move the upper into a loosened state. The article of footwear also includes a tightening grip operable to be moved away from the upper in a first direction to move the first cable in the tightening direction and a cable lock operable in a locked state to restrict movement of the first cable in the loosening direction and operable in an unlocked state to permit movement of the first cable in the loosening direction. A release grip is operable to be moved away from the upper in a second direction to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state, whereby the release grip is separate from the tightening grip.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and a first cable movable in a tightening direction to move the upper into a tightened state and movable in a loosening direction to move the upper into a loosened state. The article of footwear also includes a tightening grip operable to be moved away from the upper in a first direction to move the first cable in the tightening direction and a cable lock operable in a locked state to restrict movement of the first cable in the loosening direction and operable in an unlocked state to permit movement of the first cable in the loosening direction. A release grip is operable to be moved away from the upper in a second direction to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state, whereby the release grip is separate from the tightening grip.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and a first cable movable in a tightening direction to move the upper into a tightened state and movable in a loosening direction to move the upper into a loosened state. The article of footwear also includes a tightening grip operable to be moved away from the upper in a first direction to move the first cable in the tightening direction and a cable lock operable in a locked state to restrict movement of the first cable in the loosening direction and operable in an unlocked state to permit movement of the first cable in the loosening direction. A release grip is operable to be moved away from the upper in a second direction to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state, whereby the release grip is separate from the tightening grip.

An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and a first cable movable in a tightening direction to move the upper into a tightened state and movable in a loosening direction to move the upper into a loosened state. The article of footwear also includes a tightening grip operable to be moved away from the upper in a first direction to move the first cable in the tightening direction and a cable lock operable in a locked state to restrict movement of the first cable in the loosening direction and operable in an unlocked state to permit movement of the first cable in the loosening direction. A release grip is operable to be moved away from the upper in a second direction to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state, whereby the release grip is separate from the tightening grip.