A shoe lace securement mechanism including a spool, a threading and locking mechanism, a cap, and an ornamental casing. The mechanism is designed to maintain shoe lace tension without the need for a bow or knot and modularly applicable to a wide variety of footware.

An exoskeletal boot is provided. The exoskeletal boot can have a walking boot and a boot frame. The boot frame can be formed to receive the walking boot. The walking boot can be secured within the boot frame via one or more buckles. The walking boot can have an externally mounted tongue that can be tensioned via the use of one or more laces and associated tensioning mechanisms. The tongue can be molded to conform to a user's foot and leg while the tensioning mechanisms secure the user's foot and leg within the walking boot. In some embodiments, the boot frame has an open heel to capture the walking boot. In some other embodiments, the boot frame has a rotatable heel configured to pivot away from the toe and receive a heel of the walking boot for easy coupling of the walking boot to the boot frame.

Ski boot comprising: substantially rigid foot-casing, which is adapted to accommodate the foot of the user; a substantially rigid cuff, which is adapted to surround the lower part of the leg of the user, and is hinged on the foot-casing so as to be able to swing about a transversal rotation axis, which is substantially perpendicular to the boot midplane; an oblong-shaped tongue, which is arranged longitudinally to close the upper part of the foot-casing; and a foot-casing closing assembly, which is adapted to close/tighten the upper part of the foot-casing on the foot of the user and comprises: a first fairlead member, which is located on the hinge that connects the cuff to the foot-casing; a plurality of second fairlead members, which are arranged along a first major longitudinal edge of the tongue, in part integral with the foot-casing and in part integral with the tongue; and a cable winding winch, which is located on the cuff or on the tongue and is provided with a flexible cable, which comes out from the cable winding winch itself, engages in freely slidable manner and in succession said first and said second fairlead members, and has the distal end fastened to the tongue or to the foot-casing.

A fluid-filled damper system for apparel and protective padding manages impact forces through controlled fluid movement between chambers. The system includes a flexible bladder defining first and second fluid chambers connected by a flow restrictor that limits fluid transfer rate between chambers. When force is applied to the first chamber, fluid displaces into the second chamber at a rate regulated by the flow restrictor, creating progressive damping that varies with compression rate.

A motorized ambulatory assist device is configured to augment natural walking or running motion by applying torque to an article of footwear at specific points in a gait cycle. The device includes a shin-mounted control pack secured to a lower leg of a wearer, a drive unit rigidly coupled to the control pack, a lower control arm rotatably coupled to both the drive unit and the article of footwear, and a motor assembly that tensions a drive belt extending between the motor and the lower control arm. The device may include a quick disconnect coupling that enables selective attachment and detachment from the footwear, a fluid-filled bladder between the control board assembly and shin guard to dampen reactionary forces, and flexible battery packs integrated with elastic bands that secure the device to the wearer's leg.

A magnetic quick-release closure system for apparel and footwear applications combines magnetic attraction with mechanical retention to provide secure closure with intuitive, single-handed release capability. The system includes a closure panel with first and second edges, and a receiving surface with complementary features. The first edge nests within an upstanding convex ledge on the receiving surface, creating a pivot point. Multiple magnet pairs draw the panel toward the receiving surface and assist alignment. A spring-biased retention latch engages the second edge of the closure panel when closed, providing mechanical security during athletic activities. A pull tab enables a translational pulling motion of the closure panel, aligning a notched portion on its second edge with the latch for quick release. The system may also incorporate magnetic repulsion assistance for opening and an over-center locking feature for enhanced security under tension.

A rotatable quick disconnect coupling system for apparel and footwear applications provides secure attachment and detachment between components while enabling rotational movement. The system includes a keyed post with a non-radially symmetric cross-sectional profile that inserts into a receiver with a complementary internal profile, preventing unintended rotation of the post within the receiver. A spring-biased latching protrusion extends from the keyed post to engage a retention edge of the receiver when fully inserted. A user-activated release mechanism allows easy detachment by retracting the latching protrusion, via configurations such as an upstanding tab or a push-button. A bearing shaft extending from the keyed post rotatably couples with an annular portion of a connected component, enabling rotational movement while maintaining secure attachment.

A flexible battery system for wearable and robotic applications comprises rigid or semi-rigid battery cells interconnected by flexible interconnection sections that enable conformability to curved contours while maintaining electrical connectivity. Each flexible interconnection section includes a flexible substrate with embedded conductive elements such as conductive traces, wires, or accordion-folded materials. The system includes a protective encapsulation layer and the battery cells may be arranged in linear, circular, or matrix configurations, including auxetic patterns for enhanced three-dimensional conformability.

A closure system for an article of footwear includes a track, a knob, and a cord that is configured to be operably engaged with an upper of the footwear. The cord is attached to the knob and the knob is configured to be moved within the track to tighten and loosen the footwear.

Various fastening systems for an object (e.g., a wearable such as footwear) are disclosed, including a buckle assembly and a prong for adjusting tension. The buckle assembly may a pawl. The prong includes an array of teeth to engage with the pawl formed on the base. The fastening system is configurable between an engaged condition and a released condition based on the positioning of the slider relative to the base.