Lace tightening apparatus and method

Abstract

An apparatus and method for aiding a handicapped person or a child to tighten the laces on shoes and other forms of wearing apparel with only one finger. If a long handled hook is used the person does not even have to bend over to fasten the laces. Even an able bodied person will be able to fasten shoes, or other apparel faster than the current process.

Claims

1. An apparel tightening and loosening apparatus, an apparel having laces, the apparel having eyelets, the eyelets for lacing the laces, the apparatus comprising: a) an apparatus housing, the apparatus housing having at least two eyelet hooks, the eyelet hooks for anchoring the apparatus housing on the apparel when the eyelet hooks are inserted into the eyelets, the apparatus housing having a clasp, the clasp having an opened position and a closed position, the clasp able to controllably slide on the apparatus housing between the opened position and the closed position, the clasp having a clasp opening, the clasp having a spring lock, the spring lock having a spring lock latch button, the apparatus housing having a lock strike hook, the apparatus housing having a slide slot, the spring lock latch button designed and constructed to snap into the lock strike hook when the clasp is slid toward the lock strike hook, thereby holding the clasp in the closed position, the spring lock latch button designed and constructed to snap out of the lock strike hook when the clasp is slid away from the lock strike hook, thereby moving the clasp to the opened position, b) a winder, the winder having a winder housing, the winder having a pull cord, the pull cord for insertion through the slide slot, the pull cord for insertion through the clasp opening, the winder having an opened position and a closed position, the winder designed and constructed to move to the closed position when the pull cord urges the clasp to slide to the closed position, the winder designed and constructed to move to the opened position when the pull cord urges the clasp to slide to the opened position, the winder having a rotary disk, the winder having a winder spool, the winder having a winder spring attached to the winder spool, the winder spring attached to the winder housing, the winder spool attached to the rotary disk, the pull cord having a first end, the pull cord having a second end, the pull cord having a pull cord handle attached to the first end of the pull cord, the second end of the pull cord attached to the winder spool, the rotary disk designed and constructed to be rotated when the pull cord is pulled, the rotary disk designed and constructed to automatically rewind the pull cord when the pull cord is released, the rotary disk having teeth, c) a lace spool, the lace spool having at least two aglet holes, the aglet holes for holding ends of the laces, the lace spool having teeth receptors, the teeth receptors designed and constructed to hold the teeth when the teeth are inserted into the teeth receptors, the teeth are inserted into the teeth receptors when the winder housing is in the closed position, whereby the lace spool will rotate when the teeth on the rotary disk have been inserted into the teeth receptors in the lace spool and when the pull cord is pulled, thus tightening the laces, d) an arbor, the arbor having an arbor axis, the arbor mounted in the apparatus housing, the arbor designed and constructed for slidably holding the winder housing, the arbor designed and constructed to prevent the winder housing from rotating around the arbor axis, the arbor for holding the lace spool, the arbor designed and constructed to prevent the lace spool from sliding on the arbor axis, the winder housing able to slide on the arbor axis, the lace spool able to rotate on the arbor axis, whereby, tension on the laces is controlled by positioning the winder, the tension increased when the winder is in the closed position and the pull cord is pulled, the tension released when the winder is in the opened position, the opened position allowing the apparel to be removed, whereby a handicapped person is able to fasten and control the tension on the laces using only one hand.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pull cord is pullable by a conventional hook with an extended handle whereby the apparatus is able to be operated by the handicapped person with one hand and without having to bend over.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clasp opening has a diamond shape, the diamond shape having a gradually tapered end closest to the lock strike hook, the tapered end for pinching the pull cord when the pull cord is pulled toward the lock strike hook, the pinching to urge the clasp and the winder housing to enter the closed position, the diamond shape having a gradually tapered end furthest from the lock strike hook, the tapered end for pinching the pull cord when the pull cord is pulled away from the lock strike hook, the pinching to urge the clasp and the winder housing to enter the opened position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pull cord handle has a base, the base having a heart shaped cross section, a center portion of the clasp opening having a heart shaped opening, the heart shaped of the base designed and constructed to mate with the heart shaped of the clasp opening, a mating designed to urge the pull cord handle to be approximately perpendicular to the clasp when the pull cord is retracted into the winder housing, the pull cord handle is perpendicular for easy grabbing with a finger or with a hook.

5. A method for an apparel tightening and loosening apparatus, an apparel having laces, the apparel having eyelets, the eyelets for lacing the laces, the laces having aglets, the method comprising: a) providing an apparatus housing, the apparatus housing having at least two eyelet hooks, the eyelet hooks for anchoring the apparatus housing on the apparel when the eyelet hooks are inserted into the eyelets, the apparatus housing having a clasp, the clasp having an opened position and a closed position, the clasp able to controllably slide on the apparatus housing between the opened position and the closed position, the clasp having a clasp opening, the clasp having a spring lock, the spring lock having a spring lock latch button, the apparatus housing having a lock strike hook, the apparatus housing having a slide slot, the spring lock latch button designed and constructed to snap into the lock strike hook when the clasp is slid toward the lock strike hook, thereby holding the clasp in the closed position, the spring lock latch button designed and constructed to snap out of the lock strike hook when the clasp is slid away from the lock strike hook, thereby moving the clasp to the opened position, b) providing a winder, the winder having a winder housing, the winder having a pull cord, the pull cord for insertion through the slide slot, the pull cord for insertion through the clasp opening, the winder having an opened position and a closed position, the winder designed and constructed to move to the closed position when the pull cord urges the clasp to slide to the closed position, the winder designed and constructed to move to the opened position when the pull cord urges the clasp to slide to the opened position, the winder having a rotary disk, the winder having a winder spool, the winder having a winder spring attached to the winder spool, the winder spring attached to the winder housing, the winder spool attached to the rotary disk, the pull cord having a first end, the pull cord having a second end, the pull cord having a pull cord handle attached to the first end of the pull cord, the second end of the pull cord attached to the winder spool, the rotary disk designed and constructed to be rotated when the pull cord is pulled, the rotary disk designed and constructed to automatically rewind the pull cord when the pull cord is released, the rotary disk having teeth, c) providing a lace spool, the lace spool having at least two aglet holes, the aglet holes for holding ends of the laces, the lace spool having teeth receptors, the teeth receptors designed and constructed to hold the teeth when the teeth are inserted into the teeth receptors, the teeth are inserted into the teeth receptors when the winder housing is in the closed position, whereby the lace spool will rotate when the teeth on the rotary disk have been inserted into the teeth receptors in the lace spool and when the pull cord is pulled, thus tightening the laces, d) providing an arbor, the arbor having an arbor axis, the arbor mounted in the apparatus housing, the arbor designed and constructed for slidably holding the winder housing, the arbor designed and constructed to prevent the winder housing from rotating around the arbor axis, the arbor for holding the lace spool, the arbor designed and constructed to prevent the lace spool from sliding on the arbor axis, the winder housing able to slide on the arbor axis, the lace spool able to rotate on the arbor axis, whereby, tension on the laces is controlled, by positioning the winder the tension increased when the winder is in the closed position and the pull cord is pulled, the tension released when the winder is in the opened position, the opened position allowing the apparel to be removed, whereby a person is able to fasten and control the tension on the laces using only one hand, e) inserting the aglets into the aglet holes, f) pulling the pull cord handle toward the lace spool for urging the winder to slide towards the lace spool, thereby urging the teeth to enter the teeth receptors, thereby causing the spring lock to hold the apparatus in the closed position, g) pulling the pull cord upwards for rotating the lace spool causing the laces to tighten, whereby an elderly person or a handicapped person who is not able to bend over and reach the laces with their hands or who does not have manual dexterity to tie the laces or a child who has not learned to tie the laces or to tighten the laces, h) pulling the pull cord handle away from the lace spool for urging the winder to slide away from the lace spool, for urging the teeth to exit the teeth receptors, causing the apparatus to enter the opened position and releasing the tension in the laces, whereby the elderly person or the handicapped person who is not able to bend over and reach the laces with their hands or who does not have the manual dexterity to untie the laces to remove the apparel by loosening the laces using only the one hand.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pull cord is pullable by a conventional hook with an extended handle whereby the apparatus is able to be operated by the handicapped person with one hand and without having to bend over.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the clasp opening has a diamond shape, the diamond shape having a gradually tapered end closest to the lock strike hook, the tapered end for pinching the pull cord when the pull cord is pulled toward the lock strike hook, the pinching to urge the clasp and the winder housing to enter the closed position, the diamond shape having a gradually tapered end furthest from the lock strike hook, the tapered end for pinching the pull cord when the pull cord is pulled away from the lock strike hook, the pinching to urge the clasp and the winder housing to enter the opened position.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the pull cord handle has a base, the base having a heart shaped cross section, a center portion of the clasp opening having a heart shaped opening, the heart shaped of the base designed and constructed to mate with the heart shaped of the clasp opening, a mating designed to urge the pull cord handle to be approximately perpendicular to the clasp when the pull cord is retracted into the winder housing, the pull cord handle is perpendicular for easy grabbing with a finger or with a hook.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a side, end and top view sketch of the apparatus in the opened position.

(2) FIG. 1B is a side and cross-section view sketch of the apparatus in the closed position.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side, top and bottom view sketch of the winder.

(4) FIG. 3 is a side and top view of the winder spool and the winder spring.

(5) FIG. 4A is a perspective sketch of one embodiment of the apparatus, a shoe lace tightener fastener.

(6) FIG. 4B is a perspective sketch of another embodiment of the apparatus, a prosthetics fastener.

(7) FIG. 5 shows two side views of the pull handle with its heart shaped base cross section. The mating heart shaped center section of the clasp opening is shown with dot-dash lines.

(8) FIG. 6 is a side and end view sketch of a long handled hook.

(9) FIG. 7A is a sketch of a person starting to insert an aglet into an aglet hole

(10) FIG. 7B is a sketch of a person inserting an aglet into an aglet hole

REFERENCE NUMERALS

(11) 100 apparatus housing 104 eyelet hook 107 winder 108 winder housing 110 rotary disk 112 teeth 114 teeth receptors 116 lace spool 118 arbor axis 120 aglet holes 130 clasp 132 clasp opening 134 spring lock 136 spring lock latch button 138 lock strike hook 139 slide slot 140 arbor 142 pull cord 143 pull cord handle base 144 pull handle 147 opening for the pull cord 150 circular opening 190 truncated circle opening 200 pull hook 210 long handle 300 winder spool 310 winder spring 320 aglet 410 laced shoe 420 laced orthotic or prosthetic 430 laces

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

(12) Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which numerals indicate like parts through several views.

(13) FIG. 1A is a side, end and top view sketch of the apparatus in the opened position. The apparatus housing 100 holds a fixed arbor 140. A lace spool 116 rides on the arbor and is able to rotate on the arbor axis 118 but not to slide. A winder 107 also rides on the arbor with its winder housing 108 allowed to slide but not to rotate. The apparatus housing has at least two eyelet hooks 104 for anchoring the apparatus to the top of a shoe by inserting the eyelet hooks 104 through the shoe eyelets. The lace aglets are then inserted into the aglet holes 120. The apparatus housing also has a clasp 130 that is able to slide on the apparatus housing. The clasp has a clasp opening 132. The clasp has an attached spring lock 134. The apparatus housing has a lock strike hook 138 to hold the clasp in a closed position when the spring lock latch button 136, on the spring lock, is slid under the lock strike hook. The winder has a pull cord 142 with a pull cord handle 144 for rotating the rotary disk 110. The rotary disk has teeth 112 which rotate with the rotary disk. The pull cord and the pull cord handle is installed through the slide slot 139 and the clasp opening 132. The clasp opening is approximately diamond shaped. It is so designed to cause the pull cord to be pinched by the acute angle of the opening when the pull cord is pulled toward the lace spool. This causes the clasp to slide toward the lace spool pulling with it the winder. When the winder contacts the lace spool it rotates until the teeth enter the teeth receptors 114 in the lace spool. When that occurs, the spring lock latch button 136 slides under the lock strike hook 138 and that holds the winder teeth in the teeth receptors in the closed position. Now when the pull angle, on the pull cord, is changed to upward, perpendicular to the clasp, the rotary disk and the teeth causes the lace spool 116 to rotate and wind, or tighten the laces.

(14) FIG. 1B is side and cross section view sketch of the apparatus in the closed position. In this position the lace spool rotates when the pull cord is pulled. When the pull cord is released it is automatically retracted back into the winder so that no cords, or laces, are hanging anywhere on the shoe. The winder housing is locked in the closed position with the spring lock latch button 136, on the spring lock 134, is caught under the lock strike hook 138. This causes the laces to remain under tension while the shoes, or prosthetics, or orthotics are being worn.

(15) FIG. 2 is a sketch of the winder housing 108. It shows the rotator disk 110, the teeth 112, a winder spool 300, a pull cord 142, a pull cord handle 144, a winder spring 310, and a truncated circle opening 190 for the winder to ride on a flat surface of the arbor to keep the winder housing 108 from rotating.

(16) FIG. 3 is a sketch of the winder spool 300 which holds the pull cord and the winder spring 310 which causes the pull cord to automatically retract when released.

(17) FIG. 4A is a sketch showing the apparatus housing 100 with the pull cord 142 and pull cord handle 144 mounted on top of a shoe 410 with laces 430. FIG. 4B is a sketch showing the apparatus housing 100 with the pull cord 142 and the pull cord handle 144 mounted on top of a prosthetic or orthotic 420.

(18) FIG. 5 shows two sides of the pull handle with a heart shaped base cross section that mates with a heart shaped cross opening in the middle portion of the clasp opening to cause the pull handle to remain in an approximately perpendicular (to the clasp) position when the pull cord is retracted for easy grabbing by a finger or a hook.

(19) FIG. 6 is a side and end view sketch of a long handled 210 and pull hook 200.

(20) FIG. 7A shows a human hand about to insert the aglet 320, on a shoe string, into one of the aglet holes 120 in the lace spool 116.

(21) FIG. 7B shows a human hand inserting the aglet 320, on a shoe string, into one of the aglet holes 120 in the lace spool 116. The aglet should fit firmly into the aglet hole.

Operation of the Present Invention

(22) The initial set up of the apparatus for shoes starts with slipping the eyelet hooks of the apparatus housing into the eyelets closest to where the bow would have been tied in order to anchor the apparatus in place on the shoe. The next step is to insert the shoe lace aglets into the aglet holes in the lace spool. Some slack, in the shoe laces, may be taken up by pulling on the tightening pull cord. To put a shoe on a foot, one needs to first insert the toes into the foot opening with the apparatus in the open position and then slide the heel into the shoe. The next action is to grab the pull cord handle and pull it towards the lace spool. This action slides the winder towards the lace spool thereby engaging the teeth into the teeth receptors which then rotates the lace spool causing the laces to tighten. The spring lock then locks the apparatus in the closed position. The pull cord handle is then pulled until the desired tension is reached. The pull cord is then retracted onto the rotary disk. The shoes are then worn with the apparatus in the closed position. Once the apparatus is set up it can remain in the shoes while they are being worn (in the closed position) or stored (in the open position).

(23) To remove the shoes, one simply grabs pull cord handle, with one hand or with a long handled hook, and pull it away from the lace spool. This action slides the clasp, the spring lock, away from the lace spool changing the apparatus from the closed position to the open position.

(24) The initial set up for orthotic devices or prosthetic devices is the same as for shoes.

(25) The pull cord automatically retracts into the winder, when the pull cord handle is released, so that no cord or lace is hanging outside the apparatus.

(26) Thus a child, a handicapped person or an elderly person can tighten shoes or prosthetics or orthotics with one hand, and if using a long handled hook, can do so without even bending over.

CONCLUSION

(27) The present invention is an apparatus and method for the tightening of shoe laces (or prosthetic laces or orthotic laces) by anyone, including a child, an elderly person or a handicapped person who is not able to bend over and reach their feet with their hands and to easily tie their own laces. The pull cord automatically retracts into the winder so that no cord is hanging outside the apparatus. Even an able bodied person can fasten, or tighten, his/her shoes faster than the current process takes.