Suicide prevention laces

Abstract

A lace product for threading into a shoe or garment including: a plurality of single eyelet laces, a spine, stitching securing each of the plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine such that the single eyelet laces cannot be separated from the spine with a force of less than 400 lbs.

Claims

1. A lace product for threading into a shoe or garment comprising: (a) a plurality of single eyelet laces, each of the single eyelet laces comprising first and second end portions and a central portion, each of the first and second end portions of the single eyelet laces comprising an aglet affixed thereto; (b) a spine; (c) means for securing each of the plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine such that the single eyelet laces cannot be manually separated from the spine by application of a tensile force of less than 400 lbs; wherein the means secures the central portion of each of the respective plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine with the first and second end portions of each of the respective single eyelet laces projecting on opposite sides of the spine and with the respective central portions of the single eyelet laces being spaced from one another a distance sufficient to permit the aglets of respective single eyelet laces to be threaded into respective eyelets of the shoe or garment.

2. The lace product according to claim 1, wherein the spine is made of a fabric.

3. The lace product according to claim 1, wherein the spine is made of ballistic nylon.

4. The lace product according to claim 3, wherein the means for securing comprises an aramid thread.

5. The lace product according to claim 4, wherein the tensile strength of the aramid thread is at least 50 lbs.

6. The lace product according to claim 4, wherein the aramid thread is the same color as the ballistic nylon.

7. The lace product according to claim 6, wherein the spine is flat.

8. A lace product for threading into a shoe or garment comprising: (a) a plurality of single eyelet laces, each of the single eyelet laces comprising first and second end portions and a central portion, each of the first and second end portions of the single eyelet laces comprising an aglet affixed thereto; (b) a spine; (c) means for securing each of the plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine with a tensile force having a magnitude of at least 400 lbs; wherein the means secures the central portion of each of the respective plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine with the first and second end portions of each of the respective single eyelet laces projecting on opposite sides of the spine and with the respective central portions of the single eyelet laces being spaced from one another a distance sufficient to permit the aglets of respective single eyelet laces to be threaded into respective eyelets of the shoe or garment.

9. A lace product for threading into a shoe or garment comprising: (a) a plurality of single eyelet laces, each of the single eyelet laces comprising first and second end portions and a central portion, each of the first and second end portions of the single eyelet laces comprising an aglet affixed thereto; (b) a spine; (c) means for securing each of the plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine such that the single eyelet laces cannot be manually separated from the spine by application of a tensile force; wherein the means secures the central portion of each of the respective plurality of single eyelet laces to the spine with the first and second end portions of each of the respective single eyelet laces projecting on opposite sides of the spine and with the respective central portions of the single eyelet laces being spaced from one another a distance sufficient to permit the aglets of respective single eyelet laces to be threaded into respective eyelets of the shoe or garment.

10. The lace product according to claim 9, wherein the means for securing comprises an aramid thread.

11. The lace product according to claim 10, wherein the tensile strength of the aramid thread is at least 50 lbs.

12. The lace product according to claim 11, wherein the spine is made of ballistic nylon.

13. The lace product according to claim 12, wherein the aramid thread is the same color as the ballistic nylon.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) These embodiments and the method of their use will be better understood from consideration of the accompanying drawing figures that illustrate but do not limit the invention in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a lace product of the invention in a first embodiment with four single eyelet laces secured to the spine;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a lace product of the invention in a first embodiment with five single eyelet laces secured to the spine;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a lace product of the invention in a first embodiment with six single eyelet laces secured to the spine;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the lace product of FIG. 3 threaded in a shoe; and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a lace of the invention with an elongate flexible member secured to the spine with stitching.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) As used herein, single eyelet laces comprehends any elongate flexible members that can extend between a single pair of eyelets of a shoe or garment, regardless of flat, round, or other cross section.

(8) As shown in the drawings, each of the lace products 1 (FIG. 1), 3 (FIG. 2) and 5 (FIG. 3) comprises a respective spine 2, 2 or 2 to which is affixed a plurality of single eyelet laces 4, 6, 8, and 10 (FIG. 1), 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 (FIG. 2) or 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 (FIG. 3). Each of the single eyelet laces has a first end and a second end to which is affixed an aglet 40 (FIG. 1), 42 (FIG. 2) or 44 (FIG. 3). Each of the aglets is disposable in a plurality of positions with respect to the single eyelet lace to which it is attached so that each aglet can be moved from a first position wherein the body of the aglet is disposed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the single eyelet lace to a second position wherein the aglet is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis.

(9) The respective single eyelet laces of the respective lace products 1, 3 and 5 are secured to the respective spines 2, 2 and 2 in the disposition shown in FIGS. 1-3, i.e., with the single eyelet laces crossing the spines and, preferably, substantially transverse to the spines. The respective spines are made of non-tearable material such that the spines cannot be torn. As shown in FIG. 5, a single eyelet lace 14 can be secured to the respective spine 7 with stitching 52 comprising, for example, high tensile thread, which is preferably of the same color as the color of the spine. In this way, once the thread is sewn into the ballistic nylon webbing, it basically becomes camouflaged and disappears making it nearly impossible for the threads to be found and tampered with. Moreover, the preferred threads, e.g., KEVLAR thread, are basically only susceptible to a blade and cannot be otherwise torn. One of skill in the art would thus appreciate that, with the lace product so formed, the single eyelet laces are basically permanently joined to the spine. Without a blade or similar tool, there would be no way for a person to string them together to make a lace long enough to strangulate himself or another.

(10) A method of using the lace product comprises (a) passing a first aglet of a single eyelet lace through one eyelet of a shoe or garment inside to outside while the aglet is in the body-parallel position and then changing the disposition of the aglet to the transverse position to secure the aglet in the eyelet; and (b) passing a second aglet of the single eyelet lace through an opposing eyelet of the shoe in a similar fashion to secure the second aglet in the opposing eyelet. The single eyelet lace is preferably elastic so that it can pull the eyelets together when the eyelets are on opposite sides of a portion of the shoe or garment. Each of the respective single eyelet laces of the lace product can be threaded through the respective eyelets of a shoe in similar fashion to enable a person to lace a shoe onto his or her foot in a secure manner. Thus, a person with suicidal or homicidal tendencies can be provided with laces that enable him or her to use them in the intended manner without fear that they may be used inappropriately.