Shoe lace fastener and system

Abstract

A lace fastener for an article of footwear has at least an upper and a lower half attached by a spring, screw or similar mechanism. The lace fastener has at least one display face that may have the name, color, logo, etc. of the user's choosing. The lace fastener is adhered to the outer portion of the article of footwear, preferably near the top of the article of footwear. Once the article of footwear is laced, the laces are pulled through the lace fastener and the upper half is closed securing the laces in place. The laces may then be pulled through lace holders around the article of footwear in order to hold the laces neatly in place.

Claims

1. A system for securing a lace of an article of footwear comprising: a first and a second lace fastener, with each of the first and the second lace fastener having an upper half and a lower half hingedly connected to one another at a first end, wherein the first and the second lace fasteners each have a lace gripping protrusion, the lace gripping protrusion being disposed at the first end and including a plurality of teeth oriented in series in a direction perpendicular to a length of the lace, and wherein the lower half of the first and the second lace fasteners are adhered to an outer surface of an upper of the article of footwear and each of the upper halves has a display face disposed on an upper surface thereon; and at least one elastic lace holder disposed on the outer surface of the upper of the article of footwear, wherein the at least one elastic lace holder is coupled to the outer surface of the upper of the article of footwear at a first point and a second point forming an elastic loop, the first point and the second point being positioned such that an opening in the elastic loop is approximately parallel to a sole of the article of footwear; and wherein at least one of the at least one elastic lace holder is positioned on a rear portion of the shoe; and wherein the first lace fastener is positioned on a first side of a tongue on the outer surface of the upper of the article of footwear and the second lace fastener is positioned on a second side of the tongue on the outer surface of the upper of the article of footwear.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and the second lace fasteners are configured to open in a direction away from where the lace is coupled to the article of footwear.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one elastic lace holder disposed around a periphery of the article of footwear.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one elastic lace holder is disposed around the collar of the article of footwear.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the lace is pulled through and secured by the elastic loop formed by the at least one elastic lace holder.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of elastic lace holders.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the plurality of elastic lace holders form a pattern on the outer surface of the upper of the article of footwear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective, closed view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2A is a perspective, open view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2B is a perspective, open view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an article of footwear employing the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of an article of footwear employing the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an article of footwear employing the present invention and showing the lace holders.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified, as far as possible, with the same reference numerals. Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto without deviating from the innovative concepts of the invention.

(8) Referring to FIG. 1, there is a lace fastener 1 preferably for an article of footwear 5. The lace fastener 1 has an upper half 10 and a lower half 15. The upper half 10 and lower half 15 may be composed of a suitable hard and scratch resistant material. Such a material may comprise metals including but not limited to steel, iron, aluminum, copper, titanium, and alloys such as brass and bronze or any combination thereof. Further, the material may comprise plastics including but not limited to polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polystyrene, high impact polystyrene and polycarbonate, or any combination thereof. It may be advantageous to have the lace fastener 1 formed from a combination of different types of materials such as metals, plastics, rubbers, composites, and the like or any combination thereof.

(9) It may be preferential to include a scratch resistant coating to further protect the materials if not inherent in the material used. Any additional protection measures should be clear as to not obscure the display face 12 or design of the lace fastener 1. These two halves are connected by a hinge 20. The hinge 20 may be a spring, screw, or other acceptable coupling mechanism. Preferably, the hinge 20 is fashioned in such a way that it provides a gap between the upper half 10 and the lower half 15 that is of a size to permit passage of a lace 40 therethrough.

(10) The lace fastener 1 also has at least one display face 12. This display face 12 can bear the image or design of the user's choice. Alternatively, there may be pre-set display faces 12 that come with the purchase of particular footwear (i.e. a Nike swoosh on a Nike shoe). Even yet, the display faces 12 may be interchangeable. In such an instance, magnets would preferably be used although various removable coupling mechanisms may be employed. This would allow an individual user to customize their look throughout the day or according to the clothing they are wearing.

(11) The display face 12 itself may comprise a number of materials. A lace fastener 1 could have a display face 12 made with small beads set into a particular pattern and coated with a resin or epoxy. The display face 12 could have a painted surface. Even yet, the display face 12 could have a pattern or logo that is made of enamel. There is any number of other suitable options not named herein that would be practical for such a use. The number of display faces 12 may vary as well. Ideally, there is just one display face 12. However, it may be preferential to have a pyramid design with multiple display faces 12 wherein each face has a different image or a singular image spanning all the display faces 12. Again, any number of display faces 12 may be used to create a specific look.

(12) FIGS. 2A and 2B show a lace fastener 1 that is in an open position displaying the internal structure of the lace fastener 1. In FIG. 2A, there is a lace fastener 1 with a lace gripping protrusion 25. The lace gripping protrusion 25 may take a number of forms that are designed to hold and secure without damaging the lace 40. Here, the lace gripping protrusion 25 is a series of blunt teeth designed to secure the lace 40 in place. When the upper half 10 is closed (see FIG. 1) the lace gripping protrusion 25 rotates and clamps down on the lace 40. Ideally, the lace gripping protrusion 25 will be able to hold a lace 40 throughout the day. Thus, the lace gripping protrusion 25 should be able to experience about 0.25 kg (0.55 lbs) to about 4.5 kg (10 lbs) and preferably a range of 2.0 kg (4.4 lbs) to 3 kg (6.6 lbs) of pull without failing. This means that the lace 40 will not pull laterally through the lace fastener 1 or that the upper half 10 of the lace fastener 1 will not open under these conditions.

(13) It may be necessary to use a clip (not shown) or similarly structured locking mechanism to further secure the lace fastener 1. Such a clip would likely be attached by a hinge to the lower half 15 while not interfering with the practical functionality of the lace fastener 1. Alternatively, the clip may be permanently adhered to the upper half 10. The clip should be fashioned from the same material as the lace fastener as a whole, however, it may be practical to use a different material for aesthetic or styling purposes. The clip or similarly suited locking structures may be present in any embodiment of the lace fastener. The purpose of such a mechanism is to further prevent the upper half 10 of the lace fastener 1 from undesirably moving from a closed position. FIG. 2B shows an alternate embodiment of a lace fastener 1. Here, the lace gripping protrusion 25 is bar and operates substantially the same as previously described.

(14) FIGS. 3-5 illustrate the lace fastener 1 adhered to an article of footwear 5 as intended. In FIG. 3, the lace fastener 1 is seen adhered to the outer surface of an article of footwear 5. These adherence means can vary but include adherence by mechanical adherence or by adhesives. If mechanical adherence (i.e. stitching) is to be employed, the lower half 15 would need to provide for such an adherence. Thus, having conduits (not shown) for the stitching to pass through and thereby adhering the lace fastener 1 to the article of footwear 5 would be desired. The lace fastener 1 may also be attached with a number of rivets. Alternatively, chemical adherences may be employed. In this instance, the use of an epoxy or glue may be suitable. It would be appreciated by those in the art that adherence means are well known and that any number of these means may be used interchangeably depending on the particular surface the lace fastener 1 is being adhered.

(15) Once a user laces up the article of footwear 5, they can thread the lace 40 through the lace fastener 1. The upper half 10 is closed by the user. This is achieved by flipping the upper half 10 to expose the display face 12 and depressing the upper half 10 until the lace 40 is secured. This is best shown in FIG. 4, which supplies a top view demonstrating a full 360 view around the top of the article of footwear 5. The lace 40 has been pulled taunt through the lace fasteners 1, with each fastener 1 being located in substantially the same place on either side of the article of footwear 5. The lace 40 is held between the upper half 10 and the lower half 15 by the lace gripping protrusion 25 and secured in place. Excess lace 40 can be wrapped around the article of footwear 5 and secured by the lace holders 35. These lace holders 35 provide a place for the excess lace 40 to be placed without creating discomfort or an untidy appearance. The lace holders 35 are elastic and attached at two points to the article of footwear 5 forming a loop. The lace 40 is passed between these points of adherence and held securely in place.

(16) In general, the size and shape of the upper half 10 and the lower half 15 can vary greatly as can the display faces 12. Generally, any size lace fastener 1 can be used as long it as does not interfere with the wearing of the article of footwear 5. Some articles of footwear 5 such as boots may have substantially larger lace fasteners 1 than, for example, a tennis shoe. The upper half 10 and lower half 15 of the lace fastener 1 can be the same shape. The upper half 10 and lower half 15 can also be different in shape from one another. The difference in shape may be used to create a more complete image. For example, the upper half 10 may be shaped as a sun with rays extending therefrom. The lower half 15 may have rays that extend between the rays of the upper half 10. The same idea could hold true for a flower shaped structure with each half 10, 15 supplying interspersed petals. Additionally, the position of the lace fastener 1 may differ. It may be desirable to have them located in different orientations to create a unique design for the article of footwear 5. The same holds true for the lace holders 35. The lace holders 35 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 3-5. The lace holders 35 may also create a variety of patterns including zigzags, waves, polygons, and the like. The number of lace holders 35 may vary depending on the particular needs of a pattern of a specific article of footwear 5.